FREEDOM OF ENQUIRY

~ 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