Greek Letters in the
Arabic Culture
Theodora Zampaki
Dr Graeco-Arabic Studies
Tutor in the Hellenic Open University and Furman University, USA
Email: dzampaki@yahoo.gr
The Graeco-Arabic Translation
Movement as a Social and Historical
Phenomenon
 From about the middle of the 8th century to the end of
the 10th, almost all non-literary and non-historical
secular Greek books were translated into Arabic.
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All these subjects passed through the
hands of the translators
 Astrology and alchemy and the rest of the occult
sciences.
 The subjects of the quadrivium: arithmetic, geometry,
astronomy, and theory of music.
 The entire field of Aristotelian philosophy throughout its
history: metaphysics, ethics, physics, zoology, botany,
and especially logic - the Organon.
 All the health sciences: medicine, pharmacology, and
veterinary science.
 Various other marginal genres of writings, such as
Byzantine handbooks on military science (the tactica),
popular collections of wisdom sayings, and even books
on falconry.
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The Graeco-Arabic translation
movement
 Began with the accession of the ‘Abbāsids to power
and took place primarily in Baghdad.
 Represents an astounding achievement.
 Lasted well over two centuries. It was no ephemeral
phenomenon.
 It was supported by the entire elite of ‘Abbāsid society.
 It was subsidized by an enormous outlay of funds, both
public and private.
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The background of the translation
movement
 The historical, economic, and cultural significance of the
Arab conquests.
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Prominent cities in pre-Islamic times that
maintained a tradition of some Greek learning
 Al-Ḥīra
 Ḥarrān (Carrhae)
 Marw
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The new multicultural society in Baghdad
 (a) Aramaic-speakers, Christians, and Jews
 (b) Persian-speakers
 (c) Arabs, partly sedentarized and Christian
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Pre-‘Abbāsid translation activities
 The Syriac translations
 Translation from Greek into Arabic
 Sanskrit sources
 Persian translations
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Al-Manṣūr and the origins of the
Graeco-Arabic translation movement
 The policy of al-Manṣūr (r. 754-75).
 His motives.
 The role played by the imperial ideology of the early
‘Abbāsid administration.
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Baghdad
 The round shape of the city.
 Opinions.
 Its symbolism.
 Al-Manṣūr’s policy aimed at legitimizing his power.
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Bayt al-ḥikma
 the ‘house of wisdom’
 founded by the ‘Abbāsid caliphs in Baghdad
 a royal archive
 its foundation
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Al-Mahdī
 Al-Mahdī (d. 785) commissioned the translation into Arabic
of Aristotle’s Topics.
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Al-Ma’mūn
 The conflict between al-Ma’mūn and his brother al-Amīn.
 miḥna (=inquisition)
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The needs of scientific research and
theoretical knowledge
 Astrology and astronomy
 Mathematics
 Optics
 Medicine
 Philosophy
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Patrons, translators, translations
 Four major groupings of sponsors or patrons of the
translation movement:
1. ‘Abbāsid caliphs and their families
2. courtiers
3. officials of the state and military administration
4. scholars and scientists
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The translators of Greek and Syriac texts
 A few of them were Syriac-speaking pagans, the Ṣābi’an scholars
of Ḥarrān.
 The vast majority were Aramaic (Syriac)-speaking Christians.
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Scientists and translators who
knew Greek
 Al-‘Abbās ibn Sa‘īd al-Jawharī (d. after 843)
 Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq
 Qusṭā ibn Lūqā
 Thābit ibn Qurra
 Isḥāq ibn Ḥunayn
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Concluding remarks
 The Graeco-Arabic translation movement was as significant a
manifestation and as original a creation of early ‘Abbāsid
society.
 It was based on the Greek texts of the classical tradition.
 The Graeco-Arabic translation movement cannot be
understood apart from the history of the early ‘Abbāsid
empire, of which it was an integral element.
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Concluding remarks
 It produced an Arabic scientific literature with a technical
vocabulary.
 Not only did it preserve for posterity, in Arabic translation,
both lost Greek texts and more reliable manuscript
traditions of those extant.
 It demonstrated for the first time in history that scientific
and philosophical thought are international.
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