▁by ▁H ec ata eus ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁aid ▁political ▁decision - making . ▁According ▁to ▁Her odot us , ▁it ▁was ▁eng ra ved ▁upon ▁a ▁bronze ▁table t ▁and ▁was ▁carried ▁to ▁Spart a ▁by ▁Arist ag or as ▁during ▁the ▁revol t ▁of ▁the ▁I onian ▁cities ▁against ▁Pers ian ▁rule ▁from ▁ 4 9 9 ▁to ▁ 4 9 4 ▁BC . ▁ ▁An ax imen es ▁of ▁M ile t us ▁( 6 th ▁century ▁BC ), ▁who ▁studied ▁under ▁An ax im ander , ▁rejected ▁the ▁views ▁of ▁his ▁teacher ▁regarding ▁the ▁shape ▁of ▁the ▁earth ▁and ▁instead , ▁he ▁visual ized ▁the ▁earth ▁as ▁a ▁rect angular ▁form ▁supported ▁by ▁com pressed ▁air . ▁ ▁P yth ag or as ▁of ▁Sam os ▁( c . ▁ 5 6 0 – 4 8 0 ▁BC ) ▁spec ulated ▁about ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁a ▁spher ical ▁earth ▁with ▁a ▁central ▁fire ▁at ▁its ▁core . ▁He ▁is ▁sometimes ▁incorrectly ▁cred ited ▁with ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁a ▁model ▁that ▁div ides ▁a ▁spher ical ▁earth ▁into ▁five ▁zones : ▁one ▁hot , ▁two ▁temper ate , ▁and ▁two ▁cold — nor thern ▁and ▁southern . ▁This ▁idea , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁z onal ▁theory ▁of ▁climate , ▁is ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁origin ated ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Arist ot le . ▁ ▁S cy lax , ▁a ▁sail or , ▁made ▁a ▁record ▁of ▁his ▁Mediter rane an ▁voy ages ▁in ▁c . ▁ 5 1 5