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Article: Ideas that travel many lands.(Arabic technology)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- January 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Arabic technology was a wonder of the medieval world. As the Roman Empire waned and Greek science and philosophy were forgotten, Arab scholars were writing scientific books and eagerly translating Greek manuscripts into Arabic. Yet, how could the West forget the achievements of the past, while the East kept them alive?
East Meets West
It all started in A.D. 529, when the Roman emperor Justinian closed Athens' neoplatonic schools to end belief in the ancient Greek and Roman gods. Many scholars and philosophers--most of them considered pagans or heretics--relocated to Syria and Persia. They took their Greek learning with them. These ideas and texts were ...