Who amongst the following was the first to state that the Earth was spherical?

Correct Option

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher active around 340 BCE, was among the first to provide empirical arguments for the Earth's spherical shape in his work "On the Heavens". His observations included:

• The circular shadow cast by the Earth on the Moon during lunar eclipses.
• The variation in the visibility of stars and constellations as one travels north or south.
• The phenomenon of ships disappearing hull-first over the horizon.

Incorrect Options

Copernicus (16th century CE) proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system, a concept developed much later than Aristotle's time.

Ptolemy (2nd century CE) developed the geocentric model, which also assumed a spherical Earth, but he was not the originator of this idea.

Strabo (1st century BCE - 1st century CE) was a prominent Greek geographer and historian. While his works discussed geographical concepts, he is not credited with first postulating the Earth's spherical nature.