# Gregory Chioniades > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gregory_Chioniades > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gregory_Chioniades.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Chioniades > Source revision: 1304516365 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Byzantine Greek astronomer}} {{Expand French|topic=bio|date=March 2025}} '''Gregory Chioniades''' ({{langx|el|Γρηγόριος Χιονιάδης|Grēgorios Chioniadēs}}; c. 1240 – c. 1320{{sfn|Haramundanis|2007|p=229}}) was a [Byzantine Greek](/source/Byzantine_Greeks) [astronomer](/source/astronomer). He traveled to [Persia](/source/Persia), where he learned Persian mathematical and astronomical science, which he introduced into [Byzantium](/source/Byzantine_Empire) upon his return from PersiaNicholas J. Moutafakis, ''Byzantine Philosophy'', Hackett Publishing, 2003, {{ISBN|0-87220-563-0}}, p. 200 and founded an astronomical academy at [Trebizond](/source/Empire_of_Trebizond).{{sfn|Zehiroğlu|2016|pp=2-5}} Chioniades also served as [Orthodox](/source/Eastern_Orthodox_Church) bishop in [Tabriz](/source/Tabriz). ==Biography== Information about Chioniades survives from some contemporary sources. In 1347, [George Chrysokokkes](/source/George_Chrysokokkes) wrote that {{cquote|a certain Chioniades, who had been raised in [Constantinople](/source/Constantinople), fell in love with [mathematics](/source/mathematics) and other sciences. After he had mastered [medicine](/source/medicine), he wished to study [astronomy](/source/astronomy); he was informed that in order to satisfy his desire, he would have to go to [Persia](/source/Greater_Persia) (then under [Ilkhanate](/source/Ilkhanate) rule). He traveled to Trebizond, where he was given some assistance by the Emperor [Alexios II of Trebizond](/source/Alexios_II_of_Trebizond), and thence proceeded to Persia itself, where he persuaded yet another Emperor to aid him. He eventually learned all that he wished to know, and returned to Trebizond, bearing away from Persia a number of astronomical texts which he translated into [Greek](/source/Greek_language).{{sfn|Pingree|1964|p=141}}}} thumb| Epistolae of Gregory Chioniades, Athens 1902 edition by Trifon E. Evaggelides He was born in Constantinople, probably around 1240, and was originally named George.{{sfn|Haramundanis|2007|p=229}} Sixteen of Chioniades' letters have survived, which confirm that he received assistance from Alexios II and traveled to Persia. Chioniades translated a number of [Arabic](/source/Arabic_language) and [Persian](/source/Persian_language) works on [mathematics](/source/Islamic_mathematics) and [astronomy](/source/Islamic_astronomy), including the astronomical tables of his teacher [Shams al-Din al-Bukhari](/source/Shams_al-Din_al-Bukhari),{{cite web|author=Thomas Hockey at al|title=Biographical Encyclopedia of astronomers|url=http://islamsci.mcgill.ca/RASI/BEA/Shams_al-Din_al-Bukhari_BEA.htm}} who had worked at the famous [Maragheh observatory](/source/Maragheh_observatory) under the polymath [Nasir al-Din al-Tusi](/source/Nasir_al-Din_al-Tusi). Chioniades played an important role in transmitting several innovations from the Islamic world to Europe. These include the introduction of the universal latitude-independent [astrolabe](/source/astrolabe) to Europe and a Greek description of the [Tusi couple](/source/Tusi_couple), which would later have an influence on [Copernican heliocentrism](/source/Copernican_heliocentrism). Chioniades also translated several ''[Zij](/source/Zij)'' treatises into Greek, including the Persian ''[Zij-i Ilkhani](/source/Zij-i_Ilkhani)'' by al-Tusi and the Maragheh observatory{{sfn|Leichter|2004}} as well as the Seljuk ''Sanjaric Tables'' by [al-Khazini](/source/al-Khazini), an Islamic astronomer of Byzantine Greek descent.{{sfn|Pingree|1964|p=}} Chioniades resided in Tabriz, at the time the Mongol capital, from 1295 to 1296, serving as the Orthodox bishop to the Orthodox community in that city, and later returned to Constantinople.{{sfn|Pingree|1964|p=141}} In 1302 he returned to Tabriz as bishop. According to David Pingree, this may have been in connection with [Andronikos II Palaiologos](/source/Andronikos_II_Palaiologos)'s attempt to form an alliance with [Ghazan Khan](/source/Ghazan_Khan) in the summer of 1302. He stayed at Tabriz at least until 1310, before returning to Trebizond, where he is attested as a [hieromonk](/source/hieromonk) around 1315.{{sfn|PLP|loc=30814. Χιονιάδης Γρηγόριος}} Chioniades also wrote religious works, including a commentary on [John of Damascus](/source/John_of_Damascus), a liturgy {{Transliteration|el|akolouthia}} on St. Eugenios of Trebizond, and a profession of faith.{{sfn|PLP|loc=30814. Χιονιάδης Γρηγόριος}} ==Notes== {{reflist|2}} ==Sources== * [Fryde, Edmund Boleslaw](/source/Edmund_Fryde) "The Early [Palaeologan Renaissance](/source/Palaeologan_Renaissance) 1261 - C. 1360" 2000 * {{cite encyclopedia | editor = Thomas Hockey | display-editors = etal | last = Haramundanis | first = Katherine | title=Chioniades, Gregor [George] | encyclopedia = The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers | publisher = Springer | year = 2007 | location = New York | page = 229 | url=http://islamsci.mcgill.ca/RASI/BEA/Chioniades_BEA.htm | isbn=978-0-387-31022-0}} * {{cite thesis | last = Leichter | first = Joseph Gerard | url = https://archive.org/details/TheZijAs-sanjariOfGregoryChioniades | title = The Zīj as-Sanjarī of Gregory Chioniades: Text, Translation and Greek to Arabic Glossary | type =PhD thesis | year = 2004 | location = Providence, Rhode Island}} * {{cite journal | last = Pingree | first = David | author-link = David Pingree| year = 1964 | title = Gregory Chioniades and Palaeologan Astronomy | journal = [Dumbarton Oaks Papers](/source/Dumbarton_Oaks_Papers) | volume = 18 | pages = 133–160 | doi = 10.2307/1291210 | jstor = 1291210 | doi-access = free }} * {{Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit}} * {{cite journal | last = Westerink | first = L. G. | title = La profession de foi de Grégoire Chioniadès | journal = Revue des études byzantines | volume = 38 | year = 1980 | pages = 233–245 | doi = 10.3406/rebyz.1980.2109 | url = http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/rebyz_0766-5598_1980_num_38_1_2109 | language = French }} * {{cite web | last = Zehiroğlu | first = Ahmet M. | url = https://www.academia.edu/29570856 | title = Astronomy in the Trebizond Empire | year = 2016 | translator = Paula Darwish}} ==External links== * [https://wilbourhall.org/index.html#chioniades Gregory Chioniades' translation of the Zīj as-Sanjarī] by [Al-Khazini](/source/Al-Khazini), including an English translation, at wilbourhall.org . (Direct [https://archive.org/details/TheZijAs-sanjariOfGregoryChioniades archive.org link].) {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Choniades, Gregory}} Category:People from Constantinople Category:13th-century Byzantine monks Category:14th-century Byzantine monks Category:Byzantine astronomers Category:13th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops Category:14th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops Category:1240s births Category:1320s deaths Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:Year of death uncertain Category:13th-century Byzantine scientists Category:14th-century Byzantine scientists Category:13th-century Byzantine writers Category:14th-century Byzantine writers Category:People from the Empire of Trebizond Category:History of Tabriz Category:People from the Ilkhanate Category:Translators to Greek Category:14th-century Greek writers Category:14th-century Greek philosophers Category:14th-century Greek educators Category:14th-century Greek scientists Category:13th-century Greek writers Category:13th-century Greek philosophers Category:13th-century Greek educators Category:13th-century Greek scientists Category:13th-century Greek mathematicians Category:14th-century Greek mathematicians --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gregory Chioniades](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Chioniades) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Chioniades?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.