Beulé's grave at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris Charles Ernest Beulé (29 June 1826 – 4 April 1874) was a French

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

Biography

Born in Saumur,

Maine-et-Loire Maine-et-Loire () is a department in the Loire Valley in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France. It is named after the two rivers, Maine and the Loire. It borders Mayenne and Sarthe to the north, Loire-Atlantique to the west, Indr ...

, he was educated at the École Normale, and after holding the professorship of

rhetoric Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It is one of the three ancient arts of discourse ( trivium) along with grammar and logic/ dialectic. As an academic discipline within the humanities, rhetoric aims to study the techniques that speakers or w ...

at Moulins for a year, was sent to

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

in 1851 as one of the professors in the École Française. While in Athens, he discovered the Beulé Gate leading to the '' propylaea'' of the

acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens ...

, and his work, ''L'Acropole d'Athènes'', was published by order of the minister of public instruction. On his return to France, promotion and distinctions followed rapidly upon his first successes. He was made a doctor of letters, '' chevalier'' of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

, professor of archaeology at the Bibliothèque Impériale, member of the

Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres The () is a French learned society devoted to history, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the . The academy's scope was the study of ancient inscriptions (epigraphy) and historical literature (see Belles-lettres). History ...

, and perpetual secretary of the

Académie des Beaux-Arts The (; ) is a French learned society based in Paris. It is one of the five academies of the . The current president of the academy (2021) is Alain-Charles Perrot, a French architect. Background The academy was created in 1816 in Paris as a me ...

. He took great interest in political affairs, with which the last few years of his life were entirely occupied. Elected a member of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

in 1871, he zealously supported the Orleanist party. Between May and November 1873, he was Minister of the Interior in the Broglie ministry. He committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

on 4 April 1874, aged 47.

Works

His other important works are: ' (2nd edition 1875); ' (published in 1858); ' (published in 1860); and ' (published in 1861). Beulé was also the author of high-class popular works on artistic and historical subjects: ''Histoire de l'art grec avant Pericles'', the second edition of which was published in 1870, and ' published in four parts between 1867 and 1870.

References

Attribution: * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beule, Charles Ernest 1826 births 1874 deaths People from Saumur Politicians from Pays de la Loire Orléanists French interior ministers Members of the National Assembly (1871) French archaeologists French numismatists Members of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres French politicians who died by suicide Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery 1870s suicides