Gerard of Cremona

Cremona was, and is, a commune by the Po river in the middle of the Po plain in northern Italy. I believe that its capital has been called Crema, but what do I know. Cremona has seen many invaders. Among them were Romans, Byzantines, and Lombards. A strong written record of 'invaders' goes back to about 400 BC, when a Celtic people moved into the plain of Po. However, the name Cremona probably dates back to curious settlers of much earlier times. I've heard of Ligures, or Ligurians, who once held that plain of the river Po. I've heard that they were such great seamen that the Mediterranean, or a large part of it, was once called my their name.

Cremona was Rome's first military outpost and later was a Byzantine stronghold. It became a free-state in 1039. By the mid-1100s I believe that there was a sort of civil war between Crema and Cremona. Sounds a bit like the early U.S.

Cremona has been a center of musical culture for the last 500 years. The many notables who have called it home include theologians  philosophers, mathematicians, composers, painters, and architects.

Among those notables was the pop singer known as Mina. She was popular throughout the 1960s and well into the '70s. She was admired for her three-octave range and her powerful voice.

Another notable of Cremona is Gerard (1117 - 1187). He was a scholar. He read and wrote Latin and Greek and probably Hebrew from an early age. Later he became expert at reading and translating Arabic.

Gerard traveled to Spain. He wanted to explore and research Arabic libraries there, especially that of Toledo. He was particularly interested in Ptolemy's Almagest, which Arabic scholars had studied, translated, and preserved from about 200 AD. In the great library of Toledo he found much more than a fine translation of the Almagest, he found his life's work. For hundreds of years the Arab scholars had been adding their own knowledge, wisdom, and science to that which they had learned from the Greeks, Jews, Persians, Egyptians, etc. Much of the best of astronomy, medicine, history, and the wisdom of the ancients was there.

Translation of those works into Latin and the vernacular by Gerard and others began the illumination of Europeans which brought them out of the Dark Ages.

Guesses About Happenings Around 1500 BC

A while back I made some guesses as what was happening around 1500 BC. I based my guesses on reading I had  done rather than on my knowledge of man. My guesses follow:


'Great bronze work and the printing of a 40,000 some character dictionary during he Shang dynasty.' [I'm using Wikipedia and other on-line sources to check my guesses.] It seems that the Shang dynasty of China was in full career from 1760 BC to 1122 BC and the Shang were known for excellent bronze work. I couldn't find a date for the printing of the dictionary. Still I'd say I should get half credit anyway.


'There was notable seismic upheaval.' I haven't found and documentation and am not sure what I meant by 'notable.' There was a large earthquake in China noted in the Bamboo Annals,
but I figure a correct guess should fall within  100 years of 1500. So my guess is WRONG.


'There was tin mining in what is now England.' There is agreement that Phoenicians transported tin from England to places around the Mediterranean and they were doing business around 1500 BC. There are those who feel sure that tin was being mined in England by 1500 BC.
Even though there is some controversy as to whether Phoenicians were doing business in what was to become Great Britain as early as 1500 BC, I consider this a correct answer. I bet my Irish ancestors knew those Phoenicians by that time.


'A library at a rebuilt Hittite capital had tablets in eight languages.' I haven't been able to verify this. I do seem to remember a site believed to be Hittite at which tablets in eight langugess were found. I guess this must be called a wrong answer.


'The Rig-Veda was written down.' Authorities seem to think that it was put into writing between 1700 and 1100 BC. Can I get half credit?


'Chiapas de Carzo, the oldest city in Mexico was founded' It might be the oldest. Most experts seem to believe that it was probably after 1400 BC. Close, but wrong again.


'The Dorians conquered or settled in the Peloponnesus.' Historians speak of the conquest, but I haven't been able to verify a date. Most authorities seem to agree that there were Dorians in the Greek highlands at about that time. Close, but no cigar, yet.


'Hammurabi, King of Babylon, published his famous law code. Babylonians of the time were using highly developed geometry as a basis for astronomical measurements. The Zodiac was used as a teaching tool, The Hammuabic code included guidelines  for medical practices and permissible fees for surgery and treatments.' Wrong! The details are probably right, but most authorities agree that the code was written in stone before 1700 BC. 


'Moses received the Ten Commandments.' Haven't found agreement on the date. Couldn't even find agreement on what the Commandments said about killing each other. Wrong again. Is there info that suggests I could be right?


'The first palace at Cnossos, Crete was built.'
I seem to remeber that it was found to have light and air shafts and running water in the baths, but I'm wrong about the date. The palace may have been completed before 2000 BC. Even the one built after the catastrophe, the one of labyrinth legend, was probably completed by 1700 BC. Wrong.


'The Great Labyrinth of Egypt built by Amenemhet the III.' There was  first Suez canal during this period, Contraceptives were in use, A series of labor strikes occured at Thebes. Wrong. Authorities seem to agree that this Amenemhet live or rule from about 1860 BC to 1814 BC, So the happenings I mentioned must have occurred a that time.


'Troy was.' I was thinking of Homeric Troy. I was wrong. It seems to be that no one thinks it was there before 1399. Some think that it was founded after 100 BC.


Maybe this wasn't a complete waste, bu I don't plan to do it again.

I Ask You

How are the long haired Achaeans of the Mycenae related to Troy?

Its Greek to me.

Used to think hey were hippies.