ʾAbū Saʿīd Al-Siǧzī and the “Structure of the Orbs,” the Earliest Known Work on Hayʾa (2021)
ʾAbū Saʿīd al-Siǧzī was a prominent fourth/tenth century astronomer and mathematician who was one of the first contributors to the new genre of ʿilm al-hayʾa (science of the configuration). However, little is known about the initial steps taken in the formation of the discipline, or its independence from other astronomical writings and practices. In this paper, I will discuss new findings about Siǧzī’s life to determine details of his biography and a more precise time period for his scientific activities. I then describe, for the first time, a composition in theoretical astronomy from the fourth/tenth century, the “Structure of the orbs” (Tarkīb al-aflāk) by Siǧzī to show its place in the formation of the discipline of ʿilm al-hayʾa, comparing Siǧzī’s book to the earlier work of al-Farġānī on the size of the earth and the number of celestial spheres. I conclude that Siǧzī’s Tarkīb al-aflāk is the earliest known example of a book that contains only topics found in later hayʾa and may be the first appearance of the ninth celestial orb that became standard in the later genre., RésuméʾAbū Saʿīd al-Siǧzī, astronome et mathématicien du ive/xe siècle, fut l'un des premiers auteurs du genre ʿilm al-hayʾa (la science de la configuration); mais on connaît peu la genèse de cette discipline et sa relation aux autres écrits et pratiques en astronomie. Dans cet article, je présente de nouvelles découvertes permettant de préciser la biographie d'al-Siǧzī. Je décris ensuite, pour la première fois, une composition d'astronomie théorique du ive/xe siècle, la « Structure des orbes » (Tarkīb al-aflāk) d'al-Siǧzī, et je montre sa place dans la formation de la discipline ʿilm al-hayʾa en comparant ce livre à l'ouvrage antérieur d'al-Farġānī sur la taille de la Terre et le nombre des sphères célestes. Je conclus que la Tarkīb al-aflāk d'al-Siǧzī est le plus ancien exemple connu d'un livre traitant des sujets abordés plus tard en hayʾa, et qu'il contient peutêtre la première occurrence du neuvième orbe céleste, classique dans les écrits du genre.
...MoreSimilar Citations
Article
C. Philipp E. Nothaft;
(2017)
Criticism of Trepidation Models and Advocacy of Uniform Precession in Medieval Latin Astronomy
(/isis/citation/CBB861654414/)
Article
S. Mohammad Mozaffari;
(2016)
Planetary Latitudes in Medieval Islamic Astronomy: An Analysis of the Non-Ptolemaic Latitude Parameter Values in the Maragha and Samarqand Astronomical Traditions
(/isis/citation/CBB586628643/)
Book
Pierre Caye;
Romano Nanni;
Pier Daniele Napolitani;
(2015)
Scienze e rappresentazioni. Saggi in onore di Pierre Souffrin
(/isis/citation/CBB407685518/)
Article
Bernard R. Goldstein;
José Chabás;
(2023)
Continuity and change : the planetary equation tables of John Vimond and Nicolaus Copernicus
(/isis/citation/CBB214379311/)
Article
S. Mohammad Mozaffari;
(2019)
The Orbital Elements of Venus in Medieval Islamic Astronomy: Interaction Between Traditions and the Accuracy of Observations
(/isis/citation/CBB889213271/)
Article
Robert G. Morrison;
(2019)
Cosmology and Cosmic Order in Islamic Astronomy
(/isis/citation/CBB117088999/)
Book
Henry Zepeda;
(2018)
The First Latin Treatise on Ptolemy's Astronomy: The "Almagesti Minor" (c. 1200)
(/isis/citation/CBB830237991/)
Article
Matthieu Husson;
Marie-Madeleine Saby;
(2019)
Le manuscrit Erfurt F. 377 et l’astronomie alphonsine parisienne
(/isis/citation/CBB205085564/)
Article
Jean-Patrice Boudet;
(2017)
L'harmonie du monde dans le "De radiis" attribué à al-Kindī
(/isis/citation/CBB246138695/)
Article
Fraenkel, Carlos;
(2008)
Maimonides, Averroes, and Samuel Ibn Tibbon on a Skandalon of Medieval Science
(/isis/citation/CBB000930640/)
Book
Graziella Federici Vescovini;
(2021)
Astrologie et science au Moyen Âge
(/isis/citation/CBB314007381/)
Article
Martínez, María José;
Marco, Francisco J.;
(2014)
New Astronomical References in Two Catalonian Late Medieval Documents
(/isis/citation/CBB001420211/)
Book
Anna Santoni;
(2024)
Le costellazioni e i loro miti al tempo di Carlo Magno. Il contributo della tradizione aratea alla conoscenza del cielo in età carolingia
(/isis/citation/CBB040386451/)
Article
Carlo Santini;
(2012)
Ancora sul titolo del poema di Germanico
(/isis/citation/CBB988810507/)
Book
Damien Janos;
(2012)
Method, Structure, and Development in al-Fārābī’s Cosmology
(/isis/citation/CBB028508118/)
Book
Maria Sorokina;
(2021)
Les spheres, les astres et les theologiens: L'influence celeste entre science et foi dans les commentaires des Sentences
(/isis/citation/CBB547346755/)
Book
Massimo Capaccioli;
(2020)
L’incanto di Urania: Venticinque secoli di esplorazione del cielo
(/isis/citation/CBB768291559/)
Book
Bucciantini, Massimo;
Camerota, Michele;
Roux, Sophie;
(2007)
Mechanics and Cosmology in the Medieval and Early Modern Period
(/isis/citation/CBB000950231/)
Book
Simek, Rudolf;
Chlench, Kathrin;
(2006)
Johannes von Gmunden (ca. 1384--1442): Astronom und Mathematiker
(/isis/citation/CBB000930151/)
Chapter
Hamel, Jürgen;
(2005)
Die Kugelgestalt der Erde -- Vorstellungen im europäischen Mittelalter bis zur Mitte des 13. Jahrhunderts
(/isis/citation/CBB000773683/)
Early Science and Medicine: A Journal for the Study of Science, Technology and Medicine in the Pre-modern Period
Micrologus: Nature, Sciences and Medieval Societies
Aleph: Historical Studies in Science and Judaism
Journal for the History of Astronomy
Physis: Rivista Internazionale di Storia della Scienza
Be the first to comment!