
- 188 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
Avicenna’s Addendum to His Recension of Ptolemy’s ›Almagest‹
About this book
The Islamic astronomical tradition greatly benefited from the many works produced in different ancient cultures, as well as the new empirical and theoretical approaches that led to advancements in various aspects of astronomy. Nevertheless, a significant portion of the history of this tradition, especially its formative period, was lost or remains undiscovered. Avicenna's addendum to his recension of Ptolemy's Almagest, which he incorporated into his main philosophical summa, Kit?b al-Shif??, helps recover parts of this otherwise lost history. In the addendum, Avicenna took a historiographical approach and reported the developments in the science of astronomy that occurred from Ptolemy's time until his own. As such, the treatise also sheds light on the sources that were possibly available to Avicenna. However, because Avicenna did not explicitly indicate his sources, and because the text's structure is complex and language condensed, analyzing the treatise is a rather challenging task. The present monograph offers a critical edition of Avicenna's addendum, complete with an English translation and commentary, to assist readers in better understanding and appreciating this valuable contribution to the history of Islamic astronomy.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of Key Figures
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- Introduction
- 1 Avicenna’s Addendum in Context
- From Ptolemy to Avicenna
- 2 The Dynamics of Heavenly Motion
- 3 Ibn Sinān’s Hypothesis for the Variable Obliquity of the Ecliptic
- 4 Variable Obliquity or Variable Solar Latitude?
- 5 The Sine Theorem
- 6 The Solar Year and the Motion of Solar Apogee
- 7 The Size of the Sun
- 8 al-Nayrīzī and Ptolemy’s Planetary Hypotheses
- 9 The Oscillating Eccentrics of the Lower Planets
- 10 The Oscillating Epicycles
- 11 Ptolemaic Planetary Parameters and New Observations
- al-Maqāla al-muḍāfa
- 12 Introduction to the Critical Edition
- 13 Text and Translation
- Glossary
- Bibliographical References
- Index