The Bematists, measure distances 'by eye' with astonishing accuracy
Between Hecatompilo and also the north of the Caspian Gates there area unit 360 kilometers, however no one knew. In fact, nobody knew for an extended time, though these were the lines of rivalry control by the northern Achaemenian empire.
We, on the opposite hand, do know. And not by Google Maps, nor by complicated satellite measures: we all know it by the Bematists, the boys to whom Alexander the nice commissioned to live the globe.
Often these details go unnoticed , however the empire of Alexander was one thing extremely new and unexampled. Suddenly, the acquainted world became a bit smaller. Suddenly, the Alexandrians stuffed Asia, continent and Europe. Suddenly everything rotated around one or two of Macedonians and their military ability.
Logistics: provide routes, the power to maneuver units, and even the administration of latest conquered lands, depended critically on knowing the lands, towns, and customs of these United Nations agency lived there.
Although it's going to sound crude, the dialectic between conquests and independence has perpetually had (and as a motor) the 'scientific' data of the globe. we all know for a truth (never better) that the independence of America isn't well understood while not the months within which a awfully young Simon of Bolivar learned from Humboldt, one in all the individuals he knew best regarding yankee earth science, nature and society . while not that climb to Mt. Vesuvius, Bolivar would have had far more tough to illuminate the concept of political America.
In the same means, and as Benedict Anderson maintained, the Hellenistic world took form in such a large amount of people's minds as a result of it absolutely was picked au courant a map. we have a tendency to|once we|after we} browse Pliny or Strabo we area unit reading a few planet as a result of they weren't primarily based (at all) on myths and legends: they were supported the work of bematists and chorographers.
The problem is that no-one knew what that world was like
The Bematists ('bematistai') were people United Nations agency (literally) "measured distances with steps"; area unit typically mentioned aboard the 'hemerodromoi' (runners daily away), the 'dromokerykes' (messenger runners) and also the chronographs (ancient geographers). In fact, there area unit various mentions to the Bematists in Greek literature, specifically within the work of historians and classical geographers United Nations agency used their works as sources of data.
Thus, Diogenes Laercio speaks of Archelaus, the "chorographer of the lands conquered by Alexander". From what's intuited, Arquelao was to blame of measure distances and mapping a lot of of the new lands. Strabo, though he ne'er wrote the word 'bematista', uses his works extravagantly (and various clues is found in his texts). the gap between Hecatompilo and also the Caspian Gates collected by the recent Greek expert varies solely zero.2% of the particular distance.
Something prodigious, given the time ... particularly if we tend to take into account that the Bematists measured mistreatment their steps. For years it's been a lot of debated whether or not this was even potential, if one might attain the exactness these Macedonians achieved while not mistreatment odometers or alternative measure instruments. however all the written references that we've got found area unit terribly clear: the Bematists measured with steps, while not more stir.
Unfortunately, very little else we are able to understand. Tracing within the recent Greek texts, Yannis Tzifopoulos, academician of humanistic discipline at the Aristotle University of metropolis, over that it absolutely was a special military force. however his work, on the far side showing within the works of the few historians United Nations agency have return to US, has been lost. However, it's a awfully fascinating example of what humans were ready to do for tens of centuries before they'd the technology that allowed US to try to to thus.
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