Gerard of Cremona (1114-87 C.E.) was the most prolific and effective translator of scientific works from Arabic into Latin. Some details of his life and work are known from a biography and list of his translations drawn up by his students after his death, with the aim of assuring that he would receive due acknowledgement for his achievements. Born in Cremona, he was attracted to Toledo because of his "love for [Ptolemy's] Almagest " (according to his students' biography) and discovered there a large quantity of Arabic texts,