Anaxagoras and the Size of the Sun

Abstract

Plutarch and others report that Anaxagoras compared the size of the sun with the Peloponnesus. It is the aim of this paper to show that this was a fair estimate, from his point of view, which is that of a flat earth. More precisely, I will show that, with the instruments and the geometrical knowledge available, Anaxagoras must have been able to use the procedures and perform the calculations needed to reach approximately his result.