Overview

Greek was the language of philosophy, and therefore of science, in the Mediterranean world from the time of the Greek city states through the period of late antiquity. In the seventh century A.D., however, a new world power emerged. The rise of the Islamic Empire brought Muslim culture to North Africa, Spain, Persia, and India. During this period of expansion, Arabs encountered Greek philosophy for the first time, and a systematic effort to translate Greek works received royal support and encouragement. The wide variety and large number of Greek texts that were translated proved to be of lasting significance.

Background

The first dynasty of the Islamic Empire, the Umayyads (661-750), was more concerned with increasing the size of its empire and achieving political and military stability than with translating Greek scientific texts. In the middle of...