Islam Creator of the Modern Age
1. Islam: Creator of the Modern Age
~ 35 ~
Aeschylus was accused of violating the secrecy of
the Eleusinian mysteries (rictions which had
become part and parcel of Greek thought), His
being put to death on the basis of this accusation is
further proof of the fact that the atmosphere for
scientific progress did not exist in ancient Greece.
The state of science prior to the modern, scientific
age is well illustrated by the fate of Pope Sylvester
II. (Gerbert), who was renowned for his erudition.
He was born in 945 in France and died in 1003. He
was well versed in Greek and Latin, and was
famous for his scholarly achievements in various
fields.
Gerbert was taken to Spain in 967 by Count Borrell
of Barcelona and remained there for three years.
There he studied the sciences of the Arabs and was
greatly impressed by them. When he came back
from Spain, he brought with him several
translations of these books and an astrolabe. When
he began teaching Arab science, logic, mathematics,
astronomy, etc., he faced stiff opposition. The
Christians attributed his learning to magical arts
learned in Spain, some to the devil’s coaching. In
