Portrait of Adelard of Bath

Adelard of Bath

12th-century English natural philosopher

Lived
1075–1160
Country
England

Updated September 2026

About Adelard of Bath

Adelard of Bath was a 12th-century English natural philosopher. He is known both for his original works and for translating many important Greek scientific works of astrology, astronomy, philosophy, alchemy and mathematics into Latin from Arabic versions, which were then introduced to Western Europe. The oldest surviving Latin translation of Euclid's Elements is a 12th-century translation by Adelard from an Arabic version. He is known as one of the first to introduce the Arabic numeral system to Europe. He stands at the convergence of three intellectual schools: the traditional learning of French schools, the Greek culture of Southern Italy, and the Arabic science of the East.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Authors like Adelard of Bath

Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.