Charles François Lhomond (; 1727 – December 31, 1794) was a French priest,

grammarian Grammarian may refer to: * Alexandrine grammarians, philologists and textual scholars in Hellenistic Alexandria in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE * Biblical grammarians, scholars who study the Bible and the Hebrew language * Grammarian (Greco-Roman ...

, and

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

who was a native of

Chaulnes Chaulnes (; Picard: ''Chonne'') is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Chaulnes lies in the eastern part of the Somme department, 13 km north of Roye. The Chaulnes station is served by loca ...

Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France * Somme, Queensland, Australia * Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), ...

. He attended classes at the Collège d'Inville in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, where he subsequently became dean of the school. Later on, he spent twenty years as an educator at the Collège du Cardinal-Lemoine in the

Latin Quarter The Latin Quarter of Paris (, ) is an urban university campus in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistros, t ...

of Paris, and afterwards was

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

at the

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

. Lhomond made contributions in the field of

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

, being the author of several works on

grammar In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...

Roman history The history of Rome includes the history of the Rome, city of Rome as well as the Ancient Rome, civilisation of ancient Rome. Roman history has been influential on the modern world, especially in the history of the Catholic Church, and Roman la ...

and

religious history The history of religion is the written record of human religious feelings, thoughts, and ideas. This period of religious history begins with the invention of writing about 5,200 years ago (3200 BCE). The prehistory of religion involves the stu ...

. His textbook from 1779, ''De viris illustribus urbis Romae a Romulo ad Augustum'', was still used in the 20th century by French students learning Roman history and Latin. Other works by Lhomond include: * (Basics of French Grammar, 1771) * (Basics of Latin Grammar, 1779) * (Summary of Sacred History, 1784) * (Abridged History of the Church) * (Abridged History of Religion Prior to the Arrival of

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

) In 1792 he was jailed for refusing to swear allegiance to the

Civil Constitution of the Clergy The Civil Constitution of the Clergy () was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution, that sought the Caesaropapism, complete control over the Catholic Church in France by the National Constituent Assembly (France), French gove ...

, but was released shortly afterwards through intervention by

Jean-Lambert Tallien Jean-Lambert Tallien (, 23 January 1767 – 16 November 1820) was a French politician of the revolutionary period. Though initially an active agent of the Reign of Terror, he eventually clashed with its leader, Maximilien Robespierre, and is bes ...

(1767–1820), a former student of his at Collège du Cardinal-Lemoine. A statue of Lhomond by French sculptor Eugène-Louis Lequesne stands in his home town of

References

Epitome Historiae Sacræ
(translated biography) {{DEFAULTSORT:Lhomond, Charles Francois 1727 births 1794 deaths 18th-century writers in Latin 18th-century French male writers 18th-century French educators Grammarians from France French textbook writers People from Somme (department)