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

1. The question asks who was the first among the given options to state that the Earth was spherical. 2. Ancient Greek philosophers were among the first to propose a spherical Earth based on philosophical arguments and astronomical observations (like the shape of Earth's shadow on the Moon during a lunar eclipse, and the changing position of stars as one travels north or south). 3. Aristotle (384–322 BCE) provided observational evidence and compelling arguments for a spherical Earth in his writings (e.g., 'On the Heavens'). He is widely credited as one of the earliest influential proponents of this idea in the Western tradition. 4. Ptolemy (c. 100–170 CE) and Strabo (c. 64 BCE–24 CE) lived later than Aristotle and accepted the spherical Earth model. 5. Copernicus (1473–1543 CE) is famous for proposing the heliocentric model (Sun-centered), not for discovering the Earth's spherical shape, which was well-established by his time.