Abu al-Saqr Abd al-Aziz Ibn Uthman Ibn Ali al-Qabisi
l-Mawsili al-Hashimi, generally known as Al-Qabisi, (Latinised
as Alchabitius or Alcabitius), and sometimes known
as Alchabiz, Abdelazys, Abdilaziz (Arabic: 'Abd
al-Azîz, عبدالعزيز القبيصي), (died 967) was
an Arab astrologer, astronomer and mathematician.
Abu al-Saqr Abd al-Aziz
Ibn Uthman Ibn Ali al-Qabisi (known in Latin as Alcabitius, died 967), was a
famous Arab astrologer and mathematician who lived in the palace of Saif
Al-Dawla Al-Hamdani in Aleppo, Syria. He is best known for his Introduction
to the Art of Judgments of the Stars, a treatise on judicial astrology or
the forecasting of events from the positions of planets and stars. The book was
translated into Latin in the 12th century by Johannes Hispalensis and was
highly prized in medieval Europe for its astrological lore. A revised
translation into Latin was made in the 13th century. The first Latin printed
edition appeared in 1473. Shown here is the edition of 1512, published in
Venice by the printer Melchiorre Sessa, identifiable by his printer’s mark: the
initials “MS” beside a crown above the image of a cat that has just caught a
mouse. The edition includes a 14th-century commentary on Alcabitius by John
Danko of Saxony (active, 1327–55), an astronomer at the University of Paris.
Danko was also known for his important revisions to the Alfonsine Tables based
on the work of the 11th-century Arab astronomer Ibrahim Ibn Yahya an-Nakash
al-Zarqali (Latinized as Arzachel).
Life
Originally
from Iraq, Alchabitius later went to Aleppo where he worked
for and lived in the palace of Sayf al-Dawla. He died in 967.
Work
Al-Qabisi is best known
for his treatise on judicial astrology, Introduction to the Art of Judgments of
the Stars. This was dedicated to the Emir of Aleppo, Prince Sayf al-Dawla, and
survives in at least twenty-five Arabic manuscripts, and over two hundred
manuscripts of its Latin translation, with twelve printed editions of the Latin
work between 1473 and 1521. The Arabic text has received at least three Latin
translations, which attracted several commentaries and were, in turn,
translated into other European languages. In the 12th century it was translated
by Johannes Hispalensis. In 1512 it was published by Melchiorre Sessa in
Venice. The 1473 copy, and others up until 1521, features writing about
Al-Qabisi by John of Saxony.
Al-Qabisi wrote a
modest book on arithmetic, "Risala fi anwâ' al-‘adad" (Treatise
on the kinds of numbers), in which he discusses Euclid's perfect
numbers and how to form them, and Thābit ibn Qurra's theorem
on amicable numbers.
Other works inclde:
·
Risala fi al-ab'âd
wa-'l-ajrâm (treatise on distances and bodies)
·
Kitāb fi ithbāt ṣinā’at
Aḥkām al-nujūm (On Confirming the Art of Astrology)
·
Hal al-Zîjat (Solving
astronomical tables)
·
Risāla fī imtiḥān
al‐munajjimīn (A treatise for the examination of astrologers)
·
Shukūk al‐Majisṭī
(Doubts on the Almagest)
Al-Qabisi is best known
for his treatise on judicial astrology, Introduction to the Art of
Judgments of the Stars. This work survives in at least twenty-five Arabic
manuscripts, and over two hundred manuscripts of its Latin translation, with
twelve printed editions of the Latin work between 1473 and 1521. The Arabic
text has received at least three Latin translations, which attracted several
commentaries and were, in turn, translated into other European languages.
The 1473 copy, and
others up until 1521, features writing about Al-Qabisi by John of Saxony.
The rare 3rd edition (1473) of this classic scientific work recognized the
authority of Ptolmy’s Almagest. The present work is edited by Bartholomaeus
Alten. These early printed editions of Alchabitius’ “principle surviving
treatise, a tenth century Arabic introduction to Astrology” are almost
unprocurable. The book includes attractive large and smaller, ornamental
initials, white on black.
copy of Al-Qabisi’s work in the John Martin Rare Book
Room
Sumber
Labels:
Mathematician
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