Questions about Latin translations of the 12th century
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What were the main reasons European scholars traveled to southern Spain and Sicily in the 12th century?
European scholars traveled to southern Spain and Sicily because these regions held substantial Arabic-speaking populations and accumulated knowledge after their reconquest. Toledo fell from Arab hands in 1085, while Sicily came under Norman control between 1060 and 1090. These areas provided culturally and politically accessible environments for Latin scholars seeking Greek thought that had survived over centuries.
Who was Constantine the African and what medical works did he translate into Latin?
Constantine the African was a Christian monk from Carthage who arrived at Monte Cassino just before the burst of translations in the 12th century. He translated Ali ibn Abbas al-Majusi's The Complete Book of the Medical Art as Liber Pantegni along with ancient medicine from Hippocrates and Galen adapted by Arabic physicians. His other translations included Isaac Israeli ben Solomon's Liber Febribus and Ishaq ibn Imran's De Melancolia.
How many books did Gerard of Cremona translate and which major scientific texts are attributed to him?
Gerard of Cremona lived between approximately 1114 and 1187 and translated 87 books including Ptolemy's Almagest and many works of Aristotle. His translation catalog also includes Euclid's Elements of Geometry, Jabir ibn Aflah's Elementa Astronomica, and Avicenna's The Canon of Medicine as Liber Canonis. More Arabic science passed into Western Europe through his hands than any other way during this period.
When was the first Latin translation of the Qur'an produced and who were the translators involved?
Peter the Venerable called upon Robert of Ketton and Herman of Carinthia in 1142 to produce the first Latin translation of the Qur'an known as Lex Mahumet pseudoprophete. This translation effort occurred alongside Jewish teachings from Hebrew and Islamic religious texts. Mark of Toledo later translated the Qur'an again at the close of the 12th century.
Which scholars translated mathematical treatises by Hero of Alexandria and Archimedes in the 13th century?
William of Moerbeke translated mathematical treatises by Hero of Alexandria and Archimedes at the papal court in Viterbo in 1269. The Vatican collection holds William's own copy of Archimedes with commentaries of Eutocius made in 1269. Earlier translations included Euclid's Elements appearing in Latin via Adelard around 1126 and Archimedes' Measurement of a Circle reaching Western readers through Plato of Tivoli.