Jean-Pierre Vernant (; January 4, 1914 – January 9, 2007) was a French

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

and anthropologist, specialist in

ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of Classical Antiquity, classical antiquity ( AD 600), th ...

. Influenced by

Claude Lévi-Strauss Claude Lévi-Strauss (, ; 28 November 1908 – 30 October 2009) was a French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theories of structuralism and structural anthropology. He held the chair of Social An ...

, Vernant developed a structuralist approach to Greek myth,

tragedy Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...

, and society which would itself be influential among classical scholars. He was an honorary 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 n ...

Biography

Born in

Provins Provins () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and importance throughout the Middle Ages as an economic center and a host of annu ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, Vernant at first studied philosophy, receiving his agrégation in this field in 1937. A member of the Young Communists (''Jeunes Communistes''), Vernant joined the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and was a member of '' Libération-sud'' (founded by Emmanuel d'Astier). He later commanded the

French Forces of the Interior The French Forces of the Interior (french: Forces françaises de l'Intérieur) were French resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II. Charles de Gaulle used it as a formal name for the resistance fighters. The change in designation ...

(FFI) in

Haute-Garonne Haute-Garonne (; oc, Nauta Garona, ; en, Upper Garonne) is a department in the Occitanie region of Southwestern France. Named after the river Garonne, which flows through the department. Its prefecture and main city is Toulouse, the country' ...

under the pseudonym of "Colonel Berthier." He was a Companion of the Liberation. After the war, he remained a member of the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European Un ...

until 1969. He entered the

Centre national de la recherche scientifique The French National Centre for Scientific Research (french: link=no, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,63 ...

(CNRS) in 1948 and, under the influence of

Louis Gernet Louis Gernet (28 November 1882 – 29 January 1962) was a French philologist and sociologist. Life A student at the École Normale Supérieure (class of 1902), he received a licentiate in law and agrégation in grammar. In 1917, supported by ...

, turned to the study of ancient Greek anthropology. Ten years later, he became director of studies at the

École des hautes études en sciences sociales The School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (french: École des hautes études en sciences sociales; EHESS) is a graduate ''grande école'' and '' grand établissement'' in Paris focused on academic research in the social sciences. The ...

(EHESS). In 1971 he was professor in the

University of São Paulo The University of São Paulo ( pt, Universidade de São Paulo, USP) is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian public university and the country's most prestigious educational institution, the bes ...

. This visit was also an act of protest that he made with François Châtelet against the brazilian military government (dictatorship). He was a member of the French sponsorship committee for the Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World. He supported the funding organisation ''Non-Violence XXI.'' He was awarded the CNRS gold medal in 1984. In 2002, he received an honorary doctorate at the

University of Crete The University of Crete (UoC; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης) is a multi-disciplinary, research-oriented institution in Crete, Greece, located in the cities of Rethymno (official seat) and Heraklion, and one of the country's most aca ...

. Vernant died a few days after his 93rd birthday in

Sèvres Sèvres (, ) is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. The commune, which had a population of 23,251 as of 2018, is known for ...

. After his death, his name was given to a French highschool in

, le "Lycée Jean-Pierre Vernant".

Influence

The structuralist approach pioneered by Vernant has been influential on a wide range of classical scholars. More specifically, Vernant's reading of the myth of

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning " forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, kn ...

was an important influence on philosopher Bernard Stiegler's book, '' Technics and Time, 1: The Fault of Epimetheus''.

Criticism

Vernant's approach has been heavily criticized, particularly among Italian philologists, even by those of Marxist tendencies. He has been accused of a fundamentally ahistorical approach, allegedly going as far as to manipulate his sources by describing them in categories which do not apply ( polysemy and ambiguity).

Vincenzo Di Benedetto Vincenzo Di Benedetto (12 January 1934 – 19 or 20 July 2013) was an Italian classical philologist. Life Born to the tailor Saverio Di Benedetto and his wife Maria Gaetana (née Santoro) he grew up in Saracena ( Calabria) and acquired a sou ...

, ''La tragedia greca di Jean-Pierre Vernant'', in: ''Belfagor'' 32 (1977), p. 461-468; see also Vincenzo Di Benedetto, ''L'ambiguo nella tragedia greca: una categoria fuorviante'', in: '' Euripide "

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...

", introd. di V. Di Benedetto, trad. di E. Cerbo'', p. 62-75,

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

1997.

Awards

Honours

* Commander of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

* Grand Cross of the

Ordre national du Mérite The Ordre national du Mérite (; en, National Order of Merit) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's estab ...

Compagnon de la Libération The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour) ...

* Croix de Guerre * Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres * Commander of the

Order of the Phoenix (Greece) The Order of the Phoenix ( el, Τάγμα του Φοίνικος) is an order of Greece, established on 13 May 1926, by the republican government of the Second Hellenic Republic to replace the defunct Royal Order of George I. The order was ret ...

Awards and prizes

* Médaille d'or du CNRS, 1984 * Premio di Storia, San Marino, 1991 * Award for Humanistic Studies,

American Academy of Arts & Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

, 1993

Doctor Honoris Causa

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

Masaryk University Masaryk University (MU) ( cs, Masarykova univerzita; la, Universitas Masarykiana Brunensis) is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno as the se ...

of Brno *

University of Naples The University of Naples Federico II ( it, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II) is a public university in Naples, Italy. Founded in 1224, it is the oldest public non-sectarian university in the world, and is now organized into 26 depar ...

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

(2002) *

New Bulgarian University New Bulgarian University ( bg, Нов български университет, also known and abbreviated as НБУ, NBU) is a private university based in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Its campus is in the western district of the city, known ...

(2004)

Other awards

* Associate member of the

Académie royale de Belgique The Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium (RASAB) is a non-governmental association which promotes and organises science and the arts in Belgium by coordinating the national and international activities of its constituent academies su ...

* Foreign honorary member of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

* Corresponding Fellow of the

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...

* Honorary Member of the

Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies, known as the Hellenic Society, was founded in 1879 to advance the study of Greek language, literature, history, art and archaeology in the Ancient, Byzantine and Modern periods. The first Pr ...

* Membre de l'

Academia Europaea The Academia Europaea is a pan-European Academy of Humanities, Letters, Law, and Sciences. The Academia was founded in 1988 as a functioning Europe-wide Academy that encompasses all fields of scholarly inquiry. It acts as co-ordinator of Europea ...

Select publications

* ''Les origines de la pensée grecque'' (Paris), 1962 (= ''Origins of Greek Thought'', 1982) * ''Mythe et pensée chez les Grecs: Etudes de psychologie historique'' (Paris), 1965 (= ''Myth and Thought among the Greeks'', 1983) * With

Pierre Vidal-Naquet Pierre Emmanuel Vidal-Naquet (; 23 July 1930 – 29 July 2006) was a French historian who began teaching at the '' École des hautes études en sciences sociales'' (EHESS) in 1969. Vidal-Naquet was a specialist in the study of Ancient Greece, bu ...

: ''Mythe et tragédie en Grèce ancienne'', 2 vols. (Paris), 1972, 1986 (= ''Tragedy and Myth in Ancient Greece'', 1981; ''Myth and Tragedy in Ancient Greece'', 1988) * ''Mythe et société en Grèce ancienne'' (Paris), 1974 (= ''Myth and Society in Ancient Greece'', 1978) * ''Divination et rationalité'', 1974 * With

Marcel Detienne Marcel Detienne (October 11, 1935 in Liège, Belgium – March 21, 2019 in Nemours, France) was a Belgian historian and specialist in the study of ancient Greece. He was a professor at Johns Hopkins University, where he held the Basil L. Gildersl ...

: ''Les ruses de l'intelligence: La mètis des Grecs'' (Paris), 1974 (= ''Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society'', 1977) * ''Religion grecque, religions antiques'' (Paris), 1976 * ''Religion, histoires, raisons'' (Paris), 1979 * With Marcel Detienne: ''La cuisine de sacrifice en pays grec'' (Paris), 1979 (= ''Cuisine of Sacrifice among the Greeks'', 1989) * With Pierre Vidal-Naquet: ''Travail et esclavage en Grèce ancienne'' (Brussels), 1988 * ''L'individu, la mort, l'amour: soi-même et l'autre en Grèce ancienne'' (Paris), 1989 * ''Mythe et religion en Grèce ancienne'' (Paris), 1990 * ''Figures, idoles, masques'' (Paris), 1990 * With Pierre Vidal-Naquet: ''La Grèce ancienne'', 3 vols. (Paris), 1990–92 * ''Mortals and Immortals: Collected Essays'' (Princeton), 1991 * With Pierre Vidal-Naquet: ''Œdipe et ses mythes'' (Brussels), 1994 * ''Entre mythe et politique'' (Paris), 1996 * With

Jean Bottéro Jean Bottéro (30 August 1914 – 15 December 2007) was a French historian born in Vallauris. He was a major Assyriologist and a renowned expert on the Ancient Near East. He died in Gif-sur-Yvette. Biography He participated with other colleagues c ...

and Clarisse Herrenschmidt: ''L'orient ancien et nous'' (Paris), 1996.
Ancestor of the West: Writing, Reasoning, and Religion in Mesopotamia, Elam, and Greece
', translated by Teresa Lavender Fagan. University of Chicago Press, 2000. . * With Françoise Frontisi-Ducroux: ''Dans l'œil du miroir'' (Paris), 1997 * '' L'univers, les dieux, les hommes: récits grecs des origines'' Paris, Le Seuil, 1999 (= ''The Universe, The Gods, and Men: Ancient Greek Myths'', 2001) * ''La traversée des frontières'' (Paris), 2004

References

External links

''Independent'' obituary
by

Oswyn Murray Oswyn Murray (born 26 March 1937) is a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford University and a distinguished classical scholar. Murray is joint editor with John Boardman and Jasper Griffin of the ''Oxford History of the Classical World''. Boris Jo ...

Page with biographical information, French language

Citation for Oxford honorary degree

Council of Europe page

Links to online interviews and media presentations by Vernant
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vernant, Jean-Pierre 1914 births 2007 deaths People from Provins French Communist Party members Collège de France faculty Historians of antiquity French classical scholars Lycée Louis-le-Grand alumni Lycée Carnot alumni University of São Paulo faculty Members of Liberation-Sud Members of Academia Europaea Companions of the Liberation French hellenists French anthropologists 20th-century French historians School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences faculty Communist members of the French Resistance Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Corresponding Fellows of the British Academy Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur Grand Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite 20th-century anthropologists