ALM 
Almamon himself made many astronomi- 
cal observations, and determined the obli- 
quity 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 so procure proper instru- 
ments to be made, and to exercise them- 
selves in astronomical observations ; which 
they did accordingly at Shemasi in the pro- 
vince of Bagdat, and upon Mount Casius, 
near Damas. 
Under the auspices of Mamon also a de- 
gree of the meridian was measured on the 
plains of Sijajar, or Sindgiar, upon the bor- 
ders of the Red Sea ; by which the degree 
was found to contain 56§ 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. Abulfeda says that this 
cubit contained 27 inches, each inch being 
determined by six grains of barley placed 
sideways; 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 cubits, that 
is 56§ 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 degree, in this estimate of it, 
would contain 56,666 toises. According to 
another valuation of a cubit, this measure 
would consist of 53,123 French toises. 
Almamon was a liberal and zealous en- 
courager of science, in consequence of 
which the Saracens began to acquire a de- 
gree of civilization and refinement to which 
they had formerly been strangers. The 
liberality of his mind obtained for Alma- 
mon the reputation of infidelity. B ut what- 
ever opinions he might hold respecting 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 record his victories, which 
were brilliant and important. We must 
look to him in the character of a philoso- 
pher and man of science, and in addition to 
what has already been noticed, we may re- 
mark, that he built a new nilometer, for 
measuring the increase of the Nile, and 
repaired one that was gone to decay. In 
the year 833, as he was returning from one 
of his expeditions, he unwarily quenched 
his thirst, while very much heated by exer- 
cise, with cold water, which brought on a 
disorder that terminated his life. During his 
last illness, he settled the affairs of the state, 
ALM 
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 
interred at Tarsus. To the principles of 
science, and not to those of the Mohamme- 
dan religion, have been ascribed the libera- 
lity and benignity of temper which he dis- 
played in certain trying circumstances. 
When his uncle and rival Ibrahim was taken, 
brought to trial, and condemned, the caliph, 
instead of sanctioning 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 ge- 
nerous deed, he exclaimed, ‘ Did but men 
know the pleasure that I feel in pardoning, 
all who have offended me would come and 
confess their faults.” Almamon in the 
course of his reign, employed the most skil- 
ful astronomers that he could find to com- 
pose a body of astronomical science, which 
still subsists among oriental MSS. entitled, 
“ Astronomia elaborata a compluribus D. D. 
jussu regis Maimon.” 
ALMANAC,' in matters of literature, a 
table containing the calendar of days and 
months, the rising and setting of the sun, the 
age of the moon, &c. 
Authors are neither agreed about the in- 
ventor of almanacs, nor the etymology of 
the word ; some deriving it from the Arabic 
particle al, and manah, to count; whilst 
others think it comes from almanah, i. e. 
handsels, or new year’s gifts, because the 
astrologers of Arabia used, at the beginning 
of the year, to make presents of their ephe- 
merides for the year ensuing, 
As to the antiquity of almanacs, Ducange 
informs us, that the Egyptian astrologers, 
long before the Arabians, used the term 
almenach, and almenachica descriptio, for 
their monthly predictions. Be this as it 
will, Regiomontanus is allowed to have been 
the first who reduced almanacs to their pre- 
sent form. 
Almanacs, construction of. The first thing 
to be done, is to compute the sun’s and 
moon’s place for each day in the year, or it 
may be taken from some ephemerides and 
entered in the almanac ; next, find the do- 
minical letter, and, by means thereof, distri- 
bute the calendar into weeks : then, having 
computed the time of Easter, by it fix the 
other moveable feasts ; adding the immove- 
able ones, with the names of the martyrs, 
the rising and setting of each luminary, the 
