eus ▁of ▁M ile t us , ▁and ▁P to le my ▁using ▁both ▁observations ▁by ▁expl or ers ▁and ▁a ▁mathematical ▁approach . ▁ ▁Early ▁steps ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁intellectual ▁thought ▁in ▁ancient ▁Greece ▁belonged ▁to ▁I oni ans ▁from ▁their ▁well - known ▁city ▁of ▁M ile t us ▁in ▁Asia ▁Minor . ▁M ile t us ▁was ▁placed ▁fav ou rab ly ▁to ▁abs orb ▁aspects ▁of ▁Bab yl onian ▁knowledge ▁and ▁to ▁profit ▁from ▁the ▁expand ing ▁commerce ▁of ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁The ▁earliest ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁who ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁constructed ▁a ▁map ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁is ▁An ax im ander ▁of ▁M ile t us ▁( c . ▁ 6 1 1 – 5 4 6 ▁BC ), ▁pup il ▁of ▁Th ales . ▁He ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁earth ▁was ▁a ▁cyl ind rical ▁form , ▁like ▁a ▁stone ▁pill ar ▁and ▁susp ended ▁in ▁space . ▁The ▁inhab ited ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁world ▁was ▁circular , ▁disk - sh aped , ▁and ▁pres umably ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁upper ▁surface ▁of ▁the ▁cyl inder . ▁ ▁An ax im ander ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁to ▁draw ▁a ▁map ▁of ▁the ▁known ▁world . ▁It ▁is ▁for ▁this ▁reason ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁considered ▁by ▁many ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁map maker . ▁A ▁scarc ity ▁of ▁arch ae ological ▁and ▁written ▁evidence ▁prevents ▁us ▁from ▁giving ▁any ▁assess ment ▁of ▁his ▁map . ▁What ▁we ▁may ▁pres ume ▁is ▁that ▁he ▁port rayed ▁land