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ARABIAN CIVILIZATION. 157
Antioch and Harran.* About the same period lived the
Greek THEODOCUS who took up an influential position as
body-physician of HEDSCHADSCH, the sanguinary governor
of Irak: as author he won approval for his excellent dietaries
and as teacher of medicine he trained numerous pupils—
among them FQRAT BEN SCHANNATHA, a Jew—who became
celebrated doctors.f The prince CHALID BEN JAZID, who had
been taught in medicine by MARIANUS, a Christian Monk,
probably once a teacher in the medical school of Alexandria,
caused works on medicine, alchemy and astronomy
to be translated from Greek into Arabic by the elder
STEPHANUS, a Greek of Alexandria. These were the first
translations from a foreign tongue, which were made under
the rule of Islam, as is stated by the author of the Fihrist.J
Greek literature had found many friends and admirers in
Asia Minor where Hellenism had ever since the time of
ALEXANDER THE GREAT of Macedon possessed an important
influence which it was able to maintain under the
political changes of the Roman period.
Learned Nestorians, who carried on teaching as a profession
in the School at Edessa, translated the writings! of
ARISTOTLE from Greek into Syriac.§ Even at an earlier
date Syriac translations of the New Testament and other **
theological works had been prepared. The Nestorians
continued this meritorious work when they founded educational
establishments in Persia, and displayed an aptitude.
for it, meeting with much success at the school of Gondisapur.
They were however by no means the only people
engaged in such work. Members of other religious societies
* v. HAMMER-PURGSTALL op. cit. Bd. ii, S. 194.—FREINO . Hist. MedicinEe,
Venet. 1735, p. 89.
f LECLERC op. cit. i, p. 82.
X Fihrist means " the Index.'' It is an Arabic bibliographical work on the
scientific treatises translated into Arabic from Greek, Ancient Persian and
Sanscrit. Its author—MUHAMMED IBN ISHAK who died year 380 of the Flight.
E. H. H.
§ J. G. WENRICH: De Auctorum Graecorum versionibus et commentariis
Syriacis, Arabicis, Armeniacis, Persicisque commentatio, Lips. 1842, p. 8.