Breuis ac perutilis cōpilatio Alfragani astronomo[rum] peritissimi [electronic resource] : totῡ id continens quod ad rudimenta astronomica est opportunum.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Farghānī, active 861, Author.

فرغاني, ٨٦١ عاش, Author.

Contributor:

Joannes, Hispalensis, active 12th century, Translator.

Series:

Bloomsbury Arcadian Online Library: History of Science and Medicine

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Astronomy--Early works to 1800.

Astronomy.

Astronomy, Arab--Early works to 1800.

Astronomy, Arab.

Penn Provenance:

There is a detailed summary of the book in DSB. Afraganus, one of the astronomers of the Abbasid caliph al-Mamun, composed this work between 833 and 857 AD. Following the translation by John of Spain in 1137 AD (it was also translated by Gerard of Cremona before 1175. although this version was not published until 1910), it became the prime vehicle for the dissemination of Ptolemaic astronomy in the medieval West. It was eventually superseded by the Sphere of Sacrobosco (which owed much to Alfraganus) but even then it continued to be used. Dante derived his astronomical knowledge from Alfraganus, and the text was referred to several times by Kepler, who cited, for instance, his measurements of the circumference of the world. (Epitome, Book I, Part I). The text was reprinted, three times on its own and once as part of a compilation, at intervals throughout the sixteenth century, and the Arabic text was printed in 1669(see Quaritch Catalogue 1186,item No12.) The printer of this work was the first printer in Ferrara and the most important of the printers there before 1500. The editor of this tract appears to have been a member of the Ferrarese family of Eremita, not an AUgustinian, although he is so represented in the cut' (Cicognara,quoted in BM catalogue). Leo Pschki listed a copy of this work in his celebrated Catalogue Ffty, Livres a figures, 1900("Edito princeps rarissima du celebre manuel astronomique", described as being in half calf, possibly this copy:he had another copy in his Choix de Livres Anciens, 1914,in velum).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (60 unnumbered pages) : illustrations

Other Title:

Alfragani rudimenta astronomica

Place of Publication:

[Norimbergæ]: Impressum Ferrarie arte et impensa Andree galli viri impressorie artis peritissimi, anno incarnationis verbi, 1493.

Notes:

Imprint taken from colophon.

HC 822*; Klebs 51.1; Pell 513; Sander 279; IGI 351; Pr 5753; BMC VI 605; GW 1272; Goff A-640; Carmody p.114; Houzeau & and Lancaster 1112 (''rare''); Stillwell 13; the Crawford Library copy is the only one recorded by Grassi; not in the Grove-Hills Library (Royal Astronomical Society).

Local Notes:

Late nineteenth-century half calf over marbled boards.

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.