François Lenormant
Encyclopedia
François Lenormant was a French
assyriologist
and archaeologist.
, distinguished as an archaeologist, numismatist and Egyptologist, was anxious that his son should follow in his steps. He made him begin Greek
at the age of six, and the child responded so well to this precocious scheme of instruction, that when he was only fourteen an essay of his, on the Greek tablets found at Memphis
, appeared in the Revue Archéologique
. In 1856 he won the numismatic prize of the Académie des Inscriptions with an essay entitled Classification des monnaies des Lagides and in 1862 he became sub-librarian of the Institut de France
.
In 1858 he visited Italy and in 1859 accompanied his father on a journey of exploration to Greece
, during which Charles succumbed to fever at Athens
. Lenormant returned to Greece three times during the next six years, supervising excavations at Eleusis and gave up all the time he could spare from his official work to archaeological research. He summarized his studies in a popular Manuel d'histoire ancienne de l'Orient jusqu'aux guerres Médiques (Paris 1868). These peaceful labors were rudely interrupted by the Franco-Prussian War
, when Lenormant served with the army and was wounded in the Siege of Paris
. In 1874 he was appointed professor of archaeology at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
, and in the following year he collaborated with Baron de Witte in founding the Gazette archéologique.
n studies; he was among the first to recognize in the cuneiform inscriptions
the existence of a non-Semitic language he named Akkadian
(today it is known as Sumerian
). Lenormant's knowledge was of encyclopaedic extent, ranging over an immense number of subjects, and at the same time thorough, though somewhat lacking perhaps in the strict accuracy of the modern school. Most of his varied studies were directed towards tracing the origins of the two great civilizations of the ancient world, which were to be sought in Mesopotamia
and on the shores of the Mediterranean. He had a perfect passion for exploration. Besides his early expeditions to Greece, he visited the south of Italy
three times with this object, and it was while exploring in Calabria
that he met with an accident which ended fatally in Paris after a long illness.
The amount and variety of Lenormant's work is truly amazing when it is remembered that he died at the early age of forty-six. By 1881 he'd been named as a member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
. Probably the best known of his books are Les Origines de l'histoire d'après la Bible
, and his ancient history of the East and account of Chaldean magic
. He also contributed articles to the Dictionnaire des Antiquités Grecques et Romaines
, though he did not live to see the dictionary's completion. For breadth of view, combined with extraordinary subtlety of intuition, he was probably unrivalled.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
assyriologist
Assyriology
Assyriology is the archaeological, historical, and linguistic study of ancient Mesopotamia and the related cultures that used cuneiform writing. The field covers the Akkadian sister-cultures of Assyria and Babylonia, together with their cultural predecessor; Sumer...
and archaeologist.
Early life
Lenormant's father, Charles LenormantCharles Lenormant
Charles Lenormant was a French archaeologist.After pursuing his studies at the Lycée Charlemagne and the Lycée Napoléon, he took up law, but a visit to Italy and Sicily made him an enthusiastic archaeologist...
, distinguished as an archaeologist, numismatist and Egyptologist, was anxious that his son should follow in his steps. He made him begin Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
at the age of six, and the child responded so well to this precocious scheme of instruction, that when he was only fourteen an essay of his, on the Greek tablets found at Memphis
Memphis, Egypt
Memphis was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo.According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BC. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an...
, appeared in the Revue Archéologique
Revue Archeologique
La Revue Archéologique, published in Paris is one of the oldest, longest-running scientific journals. First appearing in 1844, it is neither the organ of an institution nor of any school, but has complete independence, under the guidance of its current editor, Marie-Christine Hellmann...
. In 1856 he won the numismatic prize of the Académie des Inscriptions with an essay entitled Classification des monnaies des Lagides and in 1862 he became sub-librarian of the Institut de France
Institut de France
The Institut de France is a French learned society, grouping five académies, the most famous of which is the Académie française.The institute, located in Paris, manages approximately 1,000 foundations, as well as museums and chateaux open for visit. It also awards prizes and subsidies, which...
.
In 1858 he visited Italy and in 1859 accompanied his father on a journey of exploration to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, during which Charles succumbed to fever at Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Lenormant returned to Greece three times during the next six years, supervising excavations at Eleusis and gave up all the time he could spare from his official work to archaeological research. He summarized his studies in a popular Manuel d'histoire ancienne de l'Orient jusqu'aux guerres Médiques (Paris 1868). These peaceful labors were rudely interrupted by the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, when Lenormant served with the army and was wounded in the Siege of Paris
Siege of Paris
The Siege of Paris, lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune....
. In 1874 he was appointed professor of archaeology at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
, and in the following year he collaborated with Baron de Witte in founding the Gazette archéologique.
Accomplishments
As early as 1867 he had turned his attention to AssyriaAssyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n studies; he was among the first to recognize in the cuneiform inscriptions
Cuneiform script
Cuneiform script )) is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Emerging in Sumer around the 30th century BC, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium , cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs...
the existence of a non-Semitic language he named Akkadian
Akkadian language
Akkadian is an extinct Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia. The earliest attested Semitic language, it used the cuneiform writing system derived ultimately from ancient Sumerian, an unrelated language isolate...
(today it is known as Sumerian
Sumerian language
Sumerian is the language of ancient Sumer, which was spoken in southern Mesopotamia since at least the 4th millennium BC. During the 3rd millennium BC, there developed a very intimate cultural symbiosis between the Sumerians and the Akkadians, which included widespread bilingualism...
). Lenormant's knowledge was of encyclopaedic extent, ranging over an immense number of subjects, and at the same time thorough, though somewhat lacking perhaps in the strict accuracy of the modern school. Most of his varied studies were directed towards tracing the origins of the two great civilizations of the ancient world, which were to be sought in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
and on the shores of the Mediterranean. He had a perfect passion for exploration. Besides his early expeditions to Greece, he visited the south of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
three times with this object, and it was while exploring in Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
that he met with an accident which ended fatally in Paris after a long illness.
The amount and variety of Lenormant's work is truly amazing when it is remembered that he died at the early age of forty-six. By 1881 he'd been named as a member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres is a French learned society devoted to the humanities, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France.-History:...
. Probably the best known of his books are Les Origines de l'histoire d'après la Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, and his ancient history of the East and account of Chaldean magic
Chaldea
Chaldea or Chaldaea , from Greek , Chaldaia; Akkadian ; Hebrew כשדים, Kaśdim; Aramaic: ܟܐܠܕܘ, Kaldo) was a marshy land located in modern-day southern Iraq which came to briefly rule Babylon...
. He also contributed articles to the Dictionnaire des Antiquités Grecques et Romaines
Dictionnaire des Antiquités Grecques et Romaines
The Dictionnaire des Antiquités Grecques et Romaines d'après les textes et les monuments, contenant l'explication des termes qui se rapportent aux mœurs, aux institutions, à la religion, aux arts, aux sciences, au costume, au mobilier, à la guerre, à la marine, aux métiers, aux monnaies, poids et...
, though he did not live to see the dictionary's completion. For breadth of view, combined with extraordinary subtlety of intuition, he was probably unrivalled.
Selected works
- "Sur l'origine chrétienne des inscriptions sinaïtiques" in Journal Asiatique, XIII (5th ser., Paris, 1859)
- Histoire des Massacres de Syrie en 1860 (Paris, 1861).
- La Révolution en Grèce (Paris, 1862)
- Essai sur l'organisation politique et économique de la monnaie dans l'antiquité (Paris, 1863)
- Turcs et Monténégrins (Paris, 1866)
- Chefs-d'œuvres de l'art antique (Paris. 1867-1868) in 7 vols.
- Histoire du peuple juif (Paris, 1869)
- Le déluge et l'épopée babylonnienne (Paris, 1873)
- Les premières civilisations (Paris, 1873. 2 vols.)
- La magie chez les chaldéens et les origines accadiennes (Paris, 1874)http://www.amazon.com/magie-chald%C3%A9ens-origines-accadiennes-French/dp/0543992128
- La langue primitive de Chaldée et les idiomes touraniens (Paris, 1875)
- La monnaie dans l'antiquité (Paris, 1878–1879)
- A travers l'Apulie et la Lucanie (Paris, 1883)
- La Genèse traduite d'après l'hébreu, avec distinction des éléments constitutifs du texte, suivi d‘un essai de restitution des textes dont s'est servi le dernier rédacteur (Paris, 1884)