Falsafa

Comma for either/or — dharma, courage. Spelling forgiving — corage finds courage.

    mathematics · 3rd century BCE · 8 crossings

    Elements

    ΣτοιχεῖαStoicheia

    Euclid, in Greek

    The axiomatic compilation of Greek geometry and number theory, and the most reprinted scientific text ever written. For most of its history, readers west of Byzantium met it through Arabic.

    The chain

    c. 300 BCE Greek original

    written by Euclid in Alexandria

    1. c. 786–805 Greek Arabic translation attested

      translated by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ibn Matar commissioned by Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki in Baghdad

      The first known Arabic Euclid, made for the Barmakid vizier during Harun al-Rashid's reign. It survives only indirectly, through the preface and readings preserved with al-Nayrizi's commentary.

      1. c. 813–833 Arabic Arabic revision attested

        revised by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ibn Matar for al-Ma'mun in Baghdad

        A second, deliberately leaner recension to win the favor of the new caliph. Al-Hajjaj said he left out the superfluities, filled up the gaps and corrected the errors, for an edition aimed at specialists.

        • Murdoch 1971 quoting the preface preserved in the Leiden al-Nayrizi codex
      2. c. 1120 Arabic Latin translation attested

        translated by Adelard of Bath

        Adelard's Version I, the true translation, made from the al-Hajjaj tradition; which of the two recensions he had is debated. The far more popular Version II, long credited to him, is now attributed to Robert of Chester.

        1. c. 1255–1261 Latin Latin revision attested

          revised by Campanus of Novara

          Campanus reworked the Adelard-tradition text with fuller proofs and additions of his own. His redaction became the standard university Euclid for two centuries.

          1. 1482 Latin Latin printed edition attested

            edited by Erhard Ratdolt in Venice

            The first printed Euclid, and the first book to solve the printing of geometric diagrams. Through Campanus and Adelard it descends from the Arabic line; a printed Greek text appeared only in 1533.

    2. c. 875–900 Greek Arabic translation attested

      translated by Ishaq ibn Hunayn in Baghdad

      A fresh translation from the Greek, made in the Hunayn workshop two generations after al-Hajjaj.

      1. c. 880–901 Arabic Arabic revision attested

        revised by Thabit ibn Qurra in Baghdad

        Thabit collated Ishaq's text against Greek manuscripts and earlier versions. The Ishaq-Thabit recension became the preferred Arabic Elements.

        1. c. 1150–1187 Arabic Latin translation attested

          translated by Gerard of Cremona in Toledo

          Made from the Ishaq-Thabit recension as part of Gerard's Toledo program, alongside his Almagest and Canon.