ALMAMON. 



W/tW the Arabians joined the particle 

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

 or, as we call it from them, the Almagest. 

 ALMAMON, Caliph of Bagdat, a phi- 

 losopher and astronomer in the beginning 

 of the ninth century, he having ascended 

 the throne in the year 814. He was son 

 of Harun Al-Raschid, and grandson of 

 Almansor. Having been educated with 

 great care, and with a love for the liberal 

 sciences, he applied himself to cultivate 

 and encourage them in his own country. 

 For this purpose he requested the Greek 

 emperors to supply him with such books 

 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 deliberations. He formed a college 

 at Korasun, and selected to preside over 

 it Mesul of Damascus, a famous Christian 

 physician. When 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 

 Jews and Christians. He caused Ptolemy's 

 Almagest to be translated in 827, by Isaac 

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

 cording to Herbelot, but according to 

 others, by Sergius and Alhazen, the son 

 of Joseph. In his reign, and doubtless 

 by his encouragement, an astronomer of 

 Bagdat named Habash, composed three 

 sets of astronomical tables. 



Alnaamon himself made many astrono- 

 mical observations, and determined the 

 obliquity of the ecliptic to be then 23 

 35', or 23 33' in some manuscripts, but 

 Vossius says 23 51', or 23 34'. He also 

 caused 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 Bagdat, and upon 

 Mount Casius, near Damas. 



Under the auspices of Mamon, also, a 

 degree of the meridian was measured on 

 the plains of Sinjar, or Sindgiar, upon 

 the borders of the Red 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 

 er. Albufeda says that this cubit con- 





tained 27 inches, each inch being deter- 

 mined by six grains of barley placed side- 

 ways ; but Thevenot says, that 144 grains 

 of barley, placed in this manner, would 

 give a length equal to 1 Paris foot: 

 four cubits would be equal to one toise 

 and nine inches, and therefore 4000 cu- 

 bits, that is, 56 2-3 miles, would give 

 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 contain 

 56,666 toises. According to another val- 

 uation of a cubit, this measure would con- 

 sist of 53,123 French toises. 



Almamon was a liberal and zealous en- 

 courager of science, in consequence oi 

 which the Saracens began to acquire a 

 degree 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 trust in the Supreme 

 Being. In this work we shall not follow 

 the Caliph 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 umvarily 

 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 illness, he 

 settled the affairs of the state, and then 

 exclaiming, in the spirit of piety, " O 

 thou who never diest, have mercy on me, 

 a dying man." He expired at the age of 

 49, after a reign of 20 years. He 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 was taken, brought to trial, and con- 

 demned, the. caliph, instead of sanction- 

 ing the sentence, tenderly embraced his 

 relation, saying, " Uncle, be of good 

 cheer, I 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- 



