Maurice Besnier

Maurice Besnier ( born September 29, 1873 in Paris, † March 4, 1933 in Caen ) was a French historian.

After studying at the École normale supérieure in Paris (1893-1896) was Besnier 1896 to 1898 a member of the École française de Rome, where he worked with Roman epigraphy, historical geography and topography, especially of Roman North Africa. In 1898 he was a lecturer (charge de cours ) for Ancient History, Archaeology and Epigraphy at the University of Caen. In 1903 he was appointed there to the extraordinary, in 1906 ordinary professor of ancient history and historical auxiliary sciences. From 1920 he taught also to ancient geography at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris. 1924 elected him to the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres as a corresponding member.

Besnier was primarily involved with the topography, geography and economic history of the Roman Empire. His focus was the development of the provinces during the imperial period. In addition to monographs and essays he has written numerous articles for the Realencyclopädie of classical archeology ( Pauly - Wissowa ) and the Dictionnaire des Antiques et Grecques Romaines ( Daremberg - Saglio ).

Writings (selection )

• Paul Blanchet: Musées et de l' Algérie collections archéologiques et de la Tunisie. Collection Farges. Paris 1900
• L' Ile Tiberine dans l' antiquité. Paris 1902
• De regione Paelignorum. Paris 1902
• Géographie ancienne du Maroc. Paris 1904
• Les catacombes de Rome. Rome 1909
• Histoire des fouilles de Vieux (Calvados ). In: Mémoires de la Société Nationale des Antiquaires de France. 69th year, 7th episode, Volume 99 (1909 ), pp. 225-335
• Lexique de geography ancienne. Paris 1914
• L'Empire Romain de l' avènement of severes au Concile de nicee. Paris 1937