Michael Scotus (* around 1175 in Scotland; "† around 1236) were a medieval scholastischer philosopher, physician, a Alchemist and a Astrologe, whom Dante described as Magier. Admits became it by its translations of Averroes comments of aristotelischer works from the Arab one.

Youth and training

The fact that Michael Scotus in Scotland was born is derived already from its given name. But when and where the exactly happened, is not any longer comprehensibly. Some newer sources proceed from around 1175, what however not is verifiable; to assume surely is however late 12. Century. Its school career is likewise unknown, but its training must have been broadly varied and it later usually magister Michael Scotus was called there, can one also on a training activity at a university close here. It admits against the fact is that he sent him with its uncle buildup and this to a university abroad. To in 15. Century did not give it in Scotland. When it left the British islands or Scotland, one does not know again, but that he did not return, at least not alive.

Before it went to Toledo, in order to work as translators and Astrologe, it already taught latin language and literature. And already early it showed a large interest in designations, names, definitions and Etymologien. Thus it used also the book Etymologien of the Isidor of Sevilla, which stood as the most widely read encyclopedia (early) of the Middle Ages also with Michael Scotus' contemporary still in high favour and it suggests whose use that he had enjoyed thorough training in the context of the elementary klerikal lateinischsprachigen education.

Translation activities in Toledo

Major item: Translator school of Toledo

By its still lasting proximity to the Islam Toledo was one of the most important cities of the education. Here already different well-known translators were actively, like for example Johann of Sevilla, Hermann of Carinthia, aristocracy pool of broadcasting corporations von Bath, who as a first student came from Britannien, and Gerhard of Cremona, the translator of the Almagest of the and the De celo et mundo the Aristoteles. The first seizable date in the life Michael Scotus' is 18 August 1217. At this time it completed the translation of an Arab astronomical work the Kitab fi l-hai'a the Alpetragius, which lived at this time still on the Spanish peninsula.

As long Michael Scotus lived already 1217 ago in Toledo, is again unknown. But one knows that he translated the three Arab available books Historia still before 1220 animalium, De partibus animalium and De generatione animalium the Aristoteles, which then also by the use of Albertus Magnus for its De attained animalibus large influence. Although William of Moerbeke on 23 December 1260 its translations directly from Greek completed, became still of Michael the Scotus in 15. Century at the universities used.

Its fame as translators is based however mainly on the translations of the Averroes comments of the Aristoteles writings such as De anima, De sensu et sensato, De celo et mundo, Physica and Metaphysica. Altogether 14 translations remained preserved from Averroes comments, about which it probably completed some at the Hofe Friedrichs II. These translations from the Arab one set however not only very good Sprachkenntnisse, but also detailed knowledge of contents ahead, since the Arab writing is unvokalisiert and can this to serious contentwise understanding errors lead. This puts also the assumption near that Michael Scotus' availed itself thereby of also Arab auxiliary workers. Its very good Sprachkenntnisse, and that it not directly from Greek translated, it testifies also Pope Gregor IX., which expressed itself in highest tones over Michael Scotus' of Arab, Hebrew and latin knowledge, but not mentions the Greek.

Late years

In order 1220 left Michael Scotus Toledo, because he emerges in Bologna, in order to attend to a smaller medical activity. It cures a tumor. Between 1224 and 1227 Michael Scotus seems to be located to successors in services of the Pope Honorius III. and its Pope Gregor IX. To 31. May 1224 he was selected to the archbishop by Cashel in Ireland. He had to do however without the office, since he was not powerful the Irish language. To 9. May 1227 further is assigned to him in Scotland and England. Michael Scotus seems to have been after these expressions a cleric, although he did not belong to a religious medal, why also Albertus Magnus and Roger Bacon negatively expressed themselves over him. After 1227 it does not appear any more in the papal registers and it can be accepted that it did not change for a long time to it to the yard Friedrichs II. Probably this was done via the switching of the Leonard of Pisa, which titulierte Michael Scotus as a "“best philosopher"”.

Which role Michael Scotus played as Hofastrologe at the Hofe Friedrichs II., is not completely clarified yet. It stands firmly that he worked as a translator for it. It translated on its desire the Abbrevatio de animalibus the Avicenna, which then Friedrichs IITH for its falcon book De arte venandi cum avibus used. The moreover one he advised it in astrological-philosophical questions and wrote here at the Hofe medical-astrological writings. Friedrichs II. tried to profit also by questions at its yard-astro+lied, which he placed with a recovery stay in the baths with Puzzouli in October/November 1227 at Michael Scotus. By Salimbene of Parma us also an anecdote was delivered, in which Friedrichs II. put his yard-astro+lied and medical advisor to the test. It should calculate the distance between the sky, which always it also meant with it, and a Kirchturmspitze. The Astrologe counted and communicated the result to its emperor. Afterwards Friedrich let the tower clear away secretly around one handbroadly and said to Michael Scotus, he was to again compute the distance, since he forgot her. Michael Scotus came now not on the same result as before and meant that the sky had dropped handbroadly more highly than first or the church one. Thereupon the emperor embraced his astro+lied whether its exact computation. If one assumes now that this small history is true, then Michael Scotus must have been a genius and/or Friedrichs II. him had wanted to examine, since he was its intimate advisor.

But Michael Scotus' literary fame in the Middle Ages is based, aside leaving the translations and the activities at the Hofe of the emperor, on its writings over the Astrologie and medicine, everything is mentioned the Hauptwerk Liber Introductorius in front.

Liber Introductorius

The Liber Introductorius is differently sections divided into three. The division takes place into the Liber quatuor distinctonum, the Liber particularis and in the Liber physiognomiae. The whole work was dedicated to emperors Friedrichs II. and the Liber physiognomiae even on its Veranlassung was written. The exact dating of the work proves as difficult, but one refers in the introduction to the holy Franziskus. And this was holy spoken on 16 July 1228. At least the introduction was thus only written after this date. The first part of the work, the Liber quatuor distinctonum, is kept incomplete and probably to Michael Scotus' death also unfinished been. Particularis it is missing to this part and the Liber both at internal unit and at systematic arrangement. Like that is also not it surprising that the Liber physiognomiae was regarded as individual book and even until around 1500 in not less than 20 expenditures appeared. In the first two parts it treats the topics astronomy, Astrologie, meteorology, medicine, music and Komputistik. Here also already before the addressed question catalog Friedrichs II. and Michael Scotus' answers are taken up. In the Liber physiognomiae it is then received on questions over the sexual intercourse, the pregnancy, the Embryologie and the Physiognomie.

Its remarks suggest extensive knowledge, but can also a today's reader to the Schmunzeln bring. Thus it writes that humans can live 140 years, since it gives 14 joints at the fingers and toes and each joint stands for 10 years. But the sins because of exist only one life span of maximally 120 years. Completely empirically it states further that women live longer than men. Then he guesses/advises the fact that one is to wash oneself in the summer with freshness, cold spring waters and also drink it would be retained because after the pores would close by the cold weather of the water, the natural heat. With large heat in the summer it did not warn the men before the sexual intercourse, only with women this anything would constitute. In addition it forbade the bleeding in hot weather, if it did not let the illness appear necessary necessarily. But also the differences of humans from different regions interested it. It put above all its attention to the differences in shape, language, behavior, clothes and motion in times of the peace and the war, the health and the illness between Lombarden, Slawen, Germans, Greeks, Mongols, Sarazenen, Scots, Jews and Egyptians.

Further work of the Michael Scotus is acre the Alchemie and the Vaticinium, whereby it concerns in first around the conversion of the metals and in the Vaticinium prophecies over Italian cities. Further it wrote smaller alchemistische and medical texts.

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