Ali ibn Ridwan
Abu'l Hassan Ali ibn Ridwan Al-Misri (Arabic: أبو الحسن علي بن رضوان المصري) (c. 988 - c. 1061) was an Arab[1] of Egyptian origin who was a physician, astrologer and astronomer, born in Giza.
Ali Ibn Ridwan | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) 14th century painting of Ali Ibn Ridwan (astronomical clock in St. Nicholas' Church (Stralsund) | |
| Born | 988 Giza, now Egypt |
| Died | 1061 (aged 73) Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate, now Iraq |
| Occupation | Physician, Astrologer, Astronomer |
| Nationality | Arab, Egyptian |
| Notable works | Commentator of Galen's Tetrabiblos, Commentator of Ancient Greek Medicine, De revolutionibus nativitatum, Tractatus de cometarum significationibus per xii signa zodiaci, On the Prevention of Bodily Ills in Egypt, Detailed of Supernova SN 1006 |
He was a commentator on ancient Greek medicine, and in particular on Galen; his commentary on Galen's Ars Parva was translated by Gerardo Cremonese. However, he is better known for providing the most detailed description of the supernova now known as SN 1006, the brightest stellar event in recorded history, which he observed in the year 1006.[2] This was written in a commentary on Ptolemy's work Tetrabiblos.
He was later cited by European authors as Hali, Haly, or Haly Abenrudian. According to Alistair Cameron Crombie[3] he also contributed to the theory of induction. He engaged in a celebrated polemic against another physician, Ibn Butlan of Baghdad.[4]
Ali Ibn Ridwan is the likely inspiration for Ambrose Bierce's use of the name, Hali, in his short story, An Inhabitant of Carcosa. The name, Hali, was subsequently used by Robert W. Chambers and other authors of 'weird' horror fiction.
Works
- A commentary on Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos (the pseudo-Ptolemaic Centiloquy and its commentary, which is sometimes attributed to Ali, is actually the work of Ahmad ibn Yusuf ibn al-Daya)
- De revolutionibus nativitatum (The Revolutions of Nativities), edited by Luca Gaurico, printed in Venice (1524)
- On the Prevention of Bodily Ills in Egypt: a treatise written to refute Ibn al-Jazzar's claim that Egypt was a very unhealthy place. Ibn Ridwan also argues that air (together with other environmental aspects) was fundamental to the health of a population.[5]
References
- Samy Swayd (10 March 2015). Historical Dictionary of the Druzes. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-4422-4617-1.
- "Celestial Delights - Telescope Reviews & Guides - Explore the Wonders of the Universe". celestialdelights.info. Archived from the original on 2007-03-11. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
- Augustine to Galileo 2, p. 25
- Schacht, Joseph; Meyerhof, Max: The medico-philosophical controversy between Ibn Butlan of Baghdad and Ibn Ridwan of Cairo: a contribution to the history of Greek learning among the Arabs. Egyptian University. Faculty of Arts. Publication no. 13. Cairo 1937
- Pormann, Peter E.; Emilie Savage-Smith (2007). Medieval Islamic Medicine. Edinburgh University Press. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-7486-2066-1.
External links
Media related to Ali ibn Ridwan at Wikimedia Commons
- History of Islamic Science
- 2001 Columbia dissertation by Jennifer Ann Seymore The Life of Ibn Ridwan and his commentary of Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos; not open link
- James H. Holden (1996). "Arabian Astrology". Retrieved 2006-10-09.
- "Ali ibn Ridwan: On the Prevention of Bodily Ills in Egypt" (PDF). Translated by Michael W. Dols. 2006-09-12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- Margaret Donsbach (July–August 2006). "The Scholar's Supernova". Saudi Aramco World. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-03-04.