Article ID: CBB856825343

On the Problem of Syriac “Influence” in the Transmission of Greek Science to the Arabs: The Cases of Astronomy, Philosophy, and Medicine (2017)

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Bhayro, Siam (Author)


Intellectual History of the Islamicate World
Volume: 5
Issue: 3
Pages: 211-227


Publication Date: 2017
Edition Details: Part of a Special Issue: Medical Traditions
Language: English

The answer to the question of why the role of Syriac in transmitting Greek science into Arabic is negligible in astronomy but important in philosophy and medicine lies in the history of Syriac science. There was little imperative to transmit Greek astronomy into Syriac because Babylonian astronomy was dominant and received in Syriac. Conversely, there was an imperative to transmit Greek philosophy, due to the lack of anything comparable in Syriac and a need that arose in the late fifth century. Medicine is an in-between case—there was a well-established Mesopotamian medical system, yet Greek sources were translated and integrated with it. This integration was rejected by Arab translators, the effects of which impacted modern scholarship. This analysis explains why influence varies by field and highlights how the modern study of the Syriac sciences has neglected their Mesopotamian background and focussed on how they received and transmitted Greek sources.

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Authors & Contributors
Karimullah, Kamran
Violet Moller
Nicola Carpentieri
Hammood Obaid
Zieme, Stefan
Grigory Kessel
Concepts
Arab/Islamic world, civilization and culture
Translations
Transmission of texts
Cross-cultural interaction; cultural influence
Transmission of ideas
Medicine
Time Periods
Medieval
Ancient
9th century
16th century
8th century
Renaissance
Places
Salerno (Italy)
Córdoba (Spain)
Toledo (Spain)
Baghdad (Iraq)
Byzantium
Europe
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