Marie-Louis-Antoine-Gaston Boissier

Gaston Boissier (full name Marie -Louis -Antoine- Gaston Boissier, born August 15, 1823 in Nîmes, † June 10, 1908 in Viroflay ) was a French historian and philologist Classic.

Boissier developed an early interest in archeology and epigraphy. He studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris philology and then taught as a professor of rhetoric at the high school in Angoulême. Later he moved to Paris, first at the Lycée Charlemagne, and then at the Ecole Normale Superieure and finally in 1869 as professor of Latin poetry at the Collège de France. In 1885 he moved to the chair of history of Latin literature, which he held until 1906.

Boissier was one of the greatest classical scholars of his time. His studies of Roman literature and history, including several standard works were rezipiert around the world and earned him a rich appreciation. In 1876 he was appointed to the Académie française, where he served as permanent secretary from 1895. From 1882 he was a regular foreign member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences, from 1886 a full member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres. He stood with many researchers at home and abroad in exchange, most notably Theodor Mommsen.

Writings (selection )

• Le Poète Attius. Étude sur la tragédie latine pendant la République. Paris / Nimes 1857
• Étude sur la vie et les ouvrages de MT Varron. Paris 1861
• Cicéron et ses amis. Étude sur la société romaine du temps de César. Paris 1865. 2nd edition 1870. 14th Edition 1908. Reprint Hildesheim / New York 1976 German translation of Eduard Doehler: Cicero and his friends. A study of Roman society in Caesar 's time. Leipzig 1869
• English Translation. 1897

• English translation by Melville B. Anderson: Madame de Sévigné. Chicago 1889

• English Translation by WG Hutchison. 1906