Victor Langlois (20 March 1829 – 14 May 1869) was a French historian, archaeologist, professor,

numismatist A numismatist is a specialist in numismatics ("of coins"; from Late Latin ''numismatis'', genitive of ''numisma''). Numismatists include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholars who use coins and other currency in object-based research. Altho ...

, and orientalist who specialized in the study of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. Langlois was particularly known for his work on

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

history and culture. He authored more than thirty books on Armenian history.

Life and work

Victor Langlois was born on rue Sygogne in

Dieppe Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newha ...

, France on 20 March 1829. He was educated at the

École Nationale des Chartes The École Nationale des Chartes (, literally National School of Charters) is a French ''grande école'' and a constituent college of Université PSL, specialising in the historical sciences. It was founded in 1821, and was located initially at ...

and

Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales ( en, National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations), abbreviated as INALCO, is a French university specializing in the teaching of languages and cultures from the world. ...

. On 7 May 1852, at the age of 23, he received orders from the French government to visit the predominantly Armenian populated area of

Cilicia Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coa ...

in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

to carry out studies about historic French and Armenian relations. In particular, Langlois was tasked with studying Armenian-French relations during the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

, and to uncover archaeological findings. Remaining in Cilicia until 1853, Langlois published a book on his findings in 1861 entitled ''Voyage dans la Cilicie et dans les montagnes du Taurus'' (''Travels in Cilicia and the Taurus Mountains'').

Terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, a ...

figures which he had found in his excavations in the necropolis of Tarsus were exhibited in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

. Between the year 1857 and 1861, Langlois traveled in Italy in order to discover more historical information concerning the relations between France and Armenia during the Crusades. His other works relate to Egyptian and Georgian numismatics (1852), and to the convent of

San Lazzaro degli Armeni San Lazzaro degli Armeni (, "Saint Lazarus of the Armenians"; called Saint Lazarus Island in English sources; hy, Սուրբ Ղազար, Surb Ghazar) is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon which has been home to the monastery of the Mekhitar ...

of the Armenian

Mekhitarist , image = , image_size = , caption = , abbreviation = C.A.M. , nickname = Mechitarists , established = , founder = Abbot Mekhitar of Sebaste, C.A.M. , foundin ...

congregation, with an outline of Armenian history and literature (1862). During this time, in 1863, he published a book about the massacres of Armenians by Turks entitled ''Les Arméniens de la Turquie et les Massacres du Taurus'' (''The Armenians of Turkey and the Taurus massacres''). In 1867 he published ("

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...

and its monasteries"), with a photo-lithographic reproduction of the geography of Ptolemy, of which the Greek manuscript of the 17th century is preserved in that monastery. He became a professor at the

Collège de France The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment (''grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris ne ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. The first volume of his ''Collection des historiens anciens et modernes de l'Arménie'', a translation from the

Armenian language Armenian ( classical: , reformed: , , ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is the official language of Armenia. Historically spoken in the Armenian Highlands, today Armenian is widely spoken t ...

, was published in 1868, under the auspices of the Egyptian-Armenian prime minister

Nubar Pasha Nubar Pasha ( ar, نوبار باشا hy, Նուպար Փաշա (January 1825, Smyrna, Ottoman Empire - 14 January 1899, Paris) was an Egyptian-Armenian politician and the first Prime Minister of Egypt. He served as Prime Minister three times d ...

, but he did not live to complete the work.

Works

Some of Victor Langlois' published works include: *''Rapport sur l'exploration archéologique de la Cilicie et de la Petite-Arménie pendant les années 1852–1853'' (1854) *''Essai historique et critique sur la constitution sociale et politique de l'Arménie sous les rois de la dynastie roupénienne'' (1860) *''Voyage dans la Cilicie et dans les montagnes du Taurus'' (1861) *''Étude sur les sources de l'Histoire d'Arménie de Moïse de Khorène'' (1861) *''Notice sur le couvent arménien de l'île Saint-Lazare de Venise'' (1863) *''Mémoire sur la vie et les écrits de Grégoire Magistros, duc de la Mésopotamie, auteur arménien du XIe siècle'' (1869) *''Collection des historiens anciens et modernes de l'Arménie'' (1869) *''Histoire des Arméniens'' (1880) *''Historicorum Graecorum et Syriorum reliquiae in Armeniorum scriptis servatae'' (1884)

Gallery

Among Langlois' illustrations in his books concerning Armenian history include: LANGLOIS(1861) p379 - INSCRIPTIONS ARMENIENNES DE TARSOUS.jpg, Armenian inscriptions in Tarsus LANGLOIS(1861) p481Monnaie d'Hethoum II.jpg, Coins from the reign of Hetoum II LANGLOIS(1861) p079 Monnate, Leon II. roi armenien de la Cilicien (1185-1219).jpg, Coins from

Leo II, King of Armenia Leo II or Leon II (occasionally numbered Leo III; , ''Levon II''; c. 1236 – 1289) was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1269''Cambridge Medieval History'', Volume IV, p. 634/1270 to 1289. He was the son of King Hetoum I ...

's reign LANGLOIS(1861) p243 - CHATEAU ARMENIEN DE GORGHIOS.jpg, The Armenian castle of

Corycus Corycus ( el, Κώρυκος; also transliterated Corycos or Korykos; hy, Կոռիկոս, translit=Koṙikos; tr, Kız Kalesi, lit. "maiden castle") was an ancient city in Cilicia Trachaea, Anatolia, located at the mouth of the valley called ...

LANGLOIS(1861) p417 Eglesie Armeniens de Tarsous, Inscriptions.jpg, Inscriptions on the Armenian church in Tarsus Lampron castle.jpg, Armenian castle of

Lampron Lampron (; ; ) is a castle near the town of Çamlıyayla in Mersin Province, Turkey. While part of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in the Middle Ages, the castle was known as Lampron and was the ancestral home of the Armenian Hethumid princes. Situa ...

References

External links

Description of the Armenian Monastery on the Island of St. Lazarus-Venice
''(full view)''
Voyage dans la Cilicie et dans les montagnes du Taurus
''(full view)''
Collection des historiens anciens et modernes de l'Arménie
''(full view)''
Les Arméniens de la Turquie et les massacres du Taurus
''(full view)''
Numismatique de l'Arménie au moyen âge
''(full view)''
Documents pour servir à l'histoire des Lusignans de la Petite Arménie
''(full view)''
Le Trésor des Chartes d'Armenie ou cartulaire de la Chancellerie royale des Roupeniens
''(full view)'' Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Langlois, Victor 1829 births 1869 deaths People from Dieppe, Seine-Maritime 19th-century French archaeologists French numismatists 19th-century French historians French educators French orientalists French ethnographers Armenian studies scholars École Nationale des Chartes alumni Collège de France faculty San Lazzaro degli Armeni alumni