Robert of Chester (
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
: ''Robertus Castrensis'') was an English
Arabist of the 12th century. He translated several historically important books from
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
to
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, such as:
* ''Book on the Composition of Alchemy'' (): translated in 1144, this was the first book on
alchemy
Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...
to become available in Europe
The Arabic Origin of Liber de compositione alchimiae
*'' Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing'' (): al-Khwārizmī's book about algebra
Algebra is a branch of mathematics that deals with abstract systems, known as algebraic structures, and the manipulation of expressions within those systems. It is a generalization of arithmetic that introduces variables and algebraic ope ...
, translated in 1145
In the 1140s Robert worked in Iberia, where the division of the region between Muslim and Christian rulers resulted in opportunities for interchange between the different cultures. However, by the end of the decade he had returned to England. Some sources identify him with Robert of Ketton () who was also active as an Arabic-Latin translator in the 1140s.[
However, Ketton and ]Chester
Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
, while both places in England, are a long way apart. Also, when in Iberia, Robert of Ketton was based in the Kingdom of Navarre, whereas Robert of Chester is known to have worked in Segovia
Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...
.
See also
* Latin translations of the 12th century
* Louis Charles Karpinski
Notes
References
*
* Charles Burnett, ‘Ketton, Robert of ( fl. 1141–1157)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
, Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2004. (This is, in effect, a double biography covering both Robert of Ketton and Robert of Chester.)
External links
complete text online. Translation of Robert of Chester, or Robert of Ketton.
__NOTOC__
Arabic–Latin translators
Translators from Arabic
12th-century English writers
Translators of the Quran into Latin
Medieval Arabists
Medieval orientalists
12th-century linguists
12th-century English scientists
12th-century translators
12th-century English mathematicians
12th-century writers in Latin
{{Sci-hist-stub