Financial power and the thirst for knowledge: the first Arabic translation movement (8th to 10th centuries)

Abstract

The first Arabic translation movement was the largest translation effort ever in terms of scope and involvement of public and private institutions. According to ancient sources, the Abbasid era saw unparalleled translator remuneration, even by modern standards. The Banū Mūsa brothers paid an in-house translator 500 dīnārs a month (equivalent to 132,000 USD in today’s terms), while al-Ma'mūn, the seventh Caliph of the Abbasids, paid the weight of the book in gold. The purpose of this article is to explore the factors that were conducive to such a massive translation enterprise, including the motivations of the various patrons and sponsors, and the material underpinnings of the endeavour.