Peter of Poitiers (secretary)
Encyclopedia
Peter of Poitiers was a monk who served as secretary (Latin
: notarius) to Peter the Venerable
, the ninth abbot of Cluny
. Little is known of his life. Presumably he came from the French city of Poitiers
or its vicinity.
texts into Latin. Their work is best remembered for making the first translation of the Qur'an
into a European language. Peter the Venerable's correspondence indicates that Peter of Poitiers was employed in the team because of his command of Latin: there is no evidence that he knew Arabic.
Peter of Poitiers and Peter the Venerable visited Spain in 1142. Although the translation project was not necessarily the primary reason for the abbot's presence in Spain, he took advantage of the fact that the country was an important centre for translations from the Arabic. Several translators based in Spain were recruited: a couple of them were proficient in Latin, including Robert of Ketton
, the principal translator of the Qur'an.
One of the translators, Peter of Toledo
, who worked on the Apology of al-Kindy
, is known to have required assistance from Peter of Poitiers because his knowledge of Latin was deficient. Peter of Poitiers may well have polished all the texts.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: notarius) to Peter the Venerable
Peter the Venerable
Peter the Venerable , also known as Peter of Montboissier, abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Cluny, born to Blessed Raingarde in Auvergne, France. He has been honored as a saint but has never been formally canonized.-Life:Peter was "Dedicated to God" at birth and given to the monastery at...
, the ninth abbot of Cluny
Cluny Abbey
Cluny Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was built in the Romanesque style, with three churches built in succession from the 10th to the early 12th centuries....
. Little is known of his life. Presumably he came from the French city of Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
or its vicinity.
Translating career
From 1142–3 he worked in a team recruited by Peter the Venerable which translated ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
texts into Latin. Their work is best remembered for making the first translation of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
into a European language. Peter the Venerable's correspondence indicates that Peter of Poitiers was employed in the team because of his command of Latin: there is no evidence that he knew Arabic.
Peter of Poitiers and Peter the Venerable visited Spain in 1142. Although the translation project was not necessarily the primary reason for the abbot's presence in Spain, he took advantage of the fact that the country was an important centre for translations from the Arabic. Several translators based in Spain were recruited: a couple of them were proficient in Latin, including Robert of Ketton
Robert of Ketton
Robert of Ketton was an English medieval theologian, astronomer and Arabist.Ketton, where Robert was either born or perhaps first took holy orders, is a small village in Rutland, a few miles from Stamford.Robert is believed to have been educated at the Cathedral School of Paris...
, the principal translator of the Qur'an.
One of the translators, Peter of Toledo
Peter of Toledo
Peter of Toledo was a significant translator into Latin of the twelfth century. He was one of the team preparing the first Latin translation of the Qur'an ....
, who worked on the Apology of al-Kindy
Apology of al-Kindy (book)
Apology of al-Kindy is a medieval theological polemic. The word "apology" is a translation of the Arabic word risāla, and it is used in the sense of apologetics. The work makes a case for Christianity and draws attention to perceived flaws in Islam.It is attributed to an Arab Christian referred...
, is known to have required assistance from Peter of Poitiers because his knowledge of Latin was deficient. Peter of Poitiers may well have polished all the texts.
See also
- Apology of al-Kindy (book)Apology of al-Kindy (book)Apology of al-Kindy is a medieval theological polemic. The word "apology" is a translation of the Arabic word risāla, and it is used in the sense of apologetics. The work makes a case for Christianity and draws attention to perceived flaws in Islam.It is attributed to an Arab Christian referred...
- Latin translations of the 12th century