ALMAMON. 



ju.f/(s>; the Arabians joined the particle 

 "al," and thence called it " Almaghesti," 



call it from them, the Aim: 

 &LMAMON, Caliph of Bagdat, a phi- 

 losopher and astronomer in the beginning' 

 '>f the ninth eentury, lie having ascended 

 tin- tliroiu- in the year 814. He was son 

 of Harnn Al-llaschid, and grandson of 

 Minansor. Having been educated with 

 are, and with a love for the liberal 

 applied himself to cultivate 

 and encourage them in his own country. 

 For this purpose lie requested, the ( Ireek 

 emperors to supply him with such hooks 

 of philosophy as they had among- them ; 

 and he collected skilful interpreters to 

 translate them into the Arabic language. 

 He also encouraged his subjects to study 

 them ; frequenting the meetings of the 

 learned, and assisting at their exercises 

 and deliberation*. He formed a college 

 at Khorasan, and selected to preside over 

 it Mesul of Damascus, a famous Christian 

 physician. \\ hen his father, who was 

 still living, remonstrated against the ap- 

 pointment, on account of the president's 

 religion, he replied, that he had chosen 

 him, not as a teacher of theology, but for 

 the instruction of his subjects in science 

 and the useful arts, and 'that his father 

 well knew, that the most learned men 

 and skilful artists in his dominions were 

 .Iv-u sand Christians. He caused Ptolemy's 

 Almagest to be translated in 827, by Isaac 

 Hi n-honain, and Thabet Ben-korah, ac- 

 cording to Herbelot, but according to 

 others, by Sergius, and Alha/.en, the son 

 of Joseph. In his reign, and doubtless 

 by his encouragement, an astronomer of 

 Uagdat, named Habash, composed three 



t astronomical tables. 

 Almamon himself made many astrono- 

 mical observations, and determined the 

 obliquity of the ecliptic to be then 23 

 '!.">', or 23 33' in some manuscripts, but 

 - 23 51', or 23 34'. He also 

 -aused skilful observers to procure pro- 

 per instruments to be made, and to exer- 

 cise themselves in astronomical observa- 

 tions ; which they did accordingly at She- 

 masi in the province of Hagdat, and upon 

 Mount Casius, near Damas. 



I ndi r the auspices of Mamon, also, a 

 degree of the meridian was measured on 

 the plains of Sinjar, or Sindgiar, upon 

 the borders of the lied Sea ; by which 

 the degree was found to contain 56 2-3 

 miles, of 4000 coudees each, the coudee 

 being a foot and a half: but it is not 

 known what foot is here meant, whether 

 the Roman, the Alexandrian, or some 

 other. Albufeda says that this cubit con- 



tained 27 inches, each inch i 

 mined by six grains of barley plac< <; 

 ways; but Thevenot says, that 144 

 of barley, placed in this manner, would 

 give a length equal to 1 ' 

 four cubits would be equal to one toise 

 and nine inches, and then fore 4 1 ' 

 bits, that is, 56 2-3 miles, \voul 

 63,730 toises. But if the ordinary cubit 

 of 24 inches was the measure to which 

 the calculation is to be referred, the de- 

 gree', in this estimate of it, would con- 

 tain 56,666 toises. According to another 

 valuation of a cubit, 1'i's measure would 

 consist of 53,123 French to-- 



Almamon was a liberal and zealous en- 

 courager of science, in consequence of 

 which the Saracens began to acquire a 

 of civilization and refinement, to 

 which they had formerly been strangers. 

 The liberality of his mind obtained for 

 Almamon the reputation of infidelity. 

 But, whatever opinions he might hold re- 

 specting the Koran, he seems'to have had 

 a confidence and tnist in the Supreme 

 Being. In this work we shall not follow 

 'iph into the field of battle, nor re- 

 cord his victories, which were brilliant 

 and important. We must look to him in 

 the character of a philosopher and man 

 of science, and, in addition to what has 

 already been noticed, we may remark, 

 that he built a new nilometer, for mea- 

 suring the increase of the Nile, and re- 

 paired one that was gone to decay. In 

 the year 833, as he was returning from 

 one of his expeditions, he unwariK 

 quenched his thirst, while very much 

 heated by exercise, with cold water, 

 which brought on a disorder that termi- 

 nated his life. During his last il!> 

 settled the affairs of the state, and then 

 exclaiming, in the spirit of piety, "O 

 thou who never diest, have merev on me, 

 a dying man." He expired at tli,- 

 49, after a reign of 20 yi an, II. was in- 

 terred at Tarsus. To the principles of 

 science, and not to those of the Moham- 

 medan religion, have been ascribed the 

 liberality and benignity of temper, which 

 he displayed in certain trying circum- 

 stances. When his uncle and rival Ibra- 

 him w:us taken, brought to trial, and con- 

 demned, the caliph, ii .iiction- 

 ing the sentence, tenderly embraced hi- 

 relation, .saying, I ' he of good 

 cheer, 1 will do you no injury :'' and he 

 not only pardoned him, but granted him 

 a rank and fortune suitable to his birth 

 Being complimented on account of this 

 generous deed, he exclaimed, "Did but 

 men know the pleasure that I feel in par 



