Jacob Spon

Jacob Spon ( born January 7, 1647 Lyon, † December 25, 1685 in Vevey) was a French doctor and archaeologist. He was a great connoisseur of Greek antiquities and led to the time of Ottoman occupation of Greece by research trips.

Life

Jacob Spon was born in 1647 as the son of doctor Charles Spon in Lyon. His family was Calvinist denomination and was originally from Ulm. Since moving to Lyon in 1551 they had risen to considerable prestige and wealth.

After studying medicine at the University of Strasbourg Spon was introduced by Charles Patin -matched to the ancient world and especially to the Greek numismatics. After a short stay in Paris Spon 1668 in Montpellier medical doctor and practiced in his native city of Lyon. His archaeological activities, which were reflected in the publication of research antiquités et de la ville de Lyon curiosités brought him with well-known philologist and archaeologist of his time in contact, including du Cange and the Dauphin Louis de Bourbon.

In the years 1675-1676 Spon traveled through Italy and Greece to Constantinople Opel and the Levant. He was accompanied by the young botanist George Wheler, who donated his collection of Greek art treasures of the University of Oxford. Spons detailed travelogue Voyage d' Italie, de Dalmatia, de Grèce et du Levant from 1679 ( German: Nürnberg in 1681 and 1690) provides an important source of time dar. In the following years he published a Histoire de la république de Genève ( 1680), Recherches d' curieuses antiquité (1683 ) and Miscellanea eruditae antiquitatis (1685 ), a collection of Latin inscriptions.

After the Edict of Fontainebleau ( October 1685 ) Spon emigrated as an avowed Protestant to Zurich. On the journey he was robbed and lost his collection and his fortune. In the mountains he contracted tuberculosis and died on December 25 in the canton hospital at Vevey.