Lesson 6: Translation Movements Flashcards
Empire (definition)
Political and military power governing diverse nations, languages, cultures etc.
Nation-state(definition)
Identifies itself in terms of unicity of culture, language, history, customs etc.
Empires like the Arab empire are…
fertile soil for the emergence of new civilizations because they offer the space for an encounter of culture and civilizations
Arab Empire - Major Periods & Territories
• 622-632: Prophet Muhammad
[most of the Arabian Peninsula]
• 632-661: Patriarchal Caliphate
[Fertile Crescent & territories in and around the Nile Valley to the west and India to the east]
• 661-750: Umayyad Caliphate [from Iberian Peninsula to India and central Asia]
First capital: Damascus
• 750-929: Abbasid Caliphate
Second capital: Baghdad
At the crossroads of the Gr,Pe,Me & Eg civilizations, all of which were present in the area when the Arabs came from the south with the enthusiasm generated by the new religion
Why do new civilizations emerge?
1) Encounter of existent civilizations
2) Economic wealth
- When basic survival needs are satisfied, society can allocate resources to “non-essential” activities
- Arab empire extended through vast fertile lands and controlled important commercial routes:
-> land: between Europe, Asia & Africa
-> sea: from Mediterranean to Indian Ocean
3) Will to Learn, Discover, Invent & Create i.e. accomplish deeds of civilization
Resolve of highest instances of the state to use their power and financial means to materialize their will
Translation to Arabic - Umayyad Dynasty: Beginning
- Islam = incentive to learn and create
- Materialization of will: caliphs dedicated great part of state’s resources to learning and translation
- Arabic not adapted to needs of new state (reflected nomadic lifestyle)
- Kept using Greek for 50 years while translators created:
-> Arabic equivalents to Greek words
-> new words through derivation of Arabic roots for brand new concepts
Translation to Arabic - Umayyad Dynasty: Main Figures
- First translations requested by Khaled bin Yazid who had a particular interest in medicine and chemistry - first texts of this nature translated from Greek and Coptic
[grandson of Mu’awiyya, founder of Umayyad dynasty] - Main architects of linguistic shift: Christians who spoke fluent Aramaic (mother tongue), Greek for liturgical purposes and Arabic
Ministers of the caliph like:
—> Sarjun (Sergius) Ibn Mansour
& his son
—> St John of Damascus
Christian
Theologian & writer of religious books
Father of the universal church
Translation to Arabic - Abbasid Dynasty: Beginnings
- 763: founded Baghdad on site of small village of same name
Wanted to become cultural and scientific center of the world - Arabs proud of “ultimate spiritual knowledge” from God’s Holy Book (Koran)
BUT
Admit that other civilizations had more advanced material knowledge
=> sought to acquire it through first translations from Greek and Persian
Translation to Arabic - Abbasid Dynasty: From Persian
- Persians had massively converted to Islam with many:
=> part of caliph’s court
=> living in Iraq (Baghdad or other)
=> prominent figures in Arab scientific & literary movement - Indian books available in Persian translated to Arabic
Translation to Arabic - Abbasid Dynasty: From Greek
Mainly by will of two caliphs:
- Haroun al Rashid
[requested manuscripts from Greeks after defeating them in battle, in addition to arms and battleships]
& his son
- Al-Ma’moun
Both wanted Arabs to acquire all Greek knowledge because the latter were perceived as possessing the best science, art and philosophy
Translation to Arabic - Abbasid Dynasty
Al- Ma’moun & the House of Wisdom
• Al-Ma’moun
- considered Byzantines false heirs to Ancient Greek civilization
- wanted Baghdad and the Arabs to be the true heirs
- invited Christian and Jewish scholars to translate Greek manuscripts into Arabic (housed & paid them)
- founded House of Wisdom (Dar Al-Hikma) in Baghdad - institution issued from transformation of his father’s library into World’s Central Library:
=> contained all essential knowledge of the time
=> created new profession: librarian
=> houses translators, scholars & students
Translation to Arabic - Abbasid Dynasty
Hunayn Ibn Ishaq
- Physician, optician and greatest translator
- Head of House of Wisdom
- Established new method of translation: global meaning > literal meaning, word by word
- As important for translator to master subject as to master languages
- Established tradition of taking Hippocratic oath among Arab physicians
Translation from Arabic to Latin
- Arab’s Golden Age (7th-13th c.)
Same time as Europe’s dark ages - Europe’s “resuscitation”: 11th c.
Wanted to acquire Arab sciences & philosophy - Translation to Latin in:
=> Andalus - Alfonso VI established translation centre in Toledo
=> Sicily (13th c.)
Other figures: Gerard of Cremona (Italian scientific translator) and Don Raimondo (archbishop of Toledo)
