Jean-Philippe-René de La Bléterie (25 February 1696, Rennes – 1 June 1772,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 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), ma ...

) was a French historian and

orator An orator, or oratist, is a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled. Etymology Recorded in English c. 1374, with a meaning of "one who pleads or argues for a cause", from Anglo-French ''oratour'', Old French ''orateur'' (14th ...

. In 1712 he became a member of Paris oratory. He taught rhetorics and church history in in 1726-1730. Moreover, he was a professor in

Royal college A royal college in some Commonwealth countries is technically a college which has received royal patronage and permission to use the prefix ''royal''. Permission is usually granted through a royal charter. The charter normally confers a constitut ...

. La Bléterie was elected a member of

Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres () is a French learned society devoted to history, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France. The academy's scope was the study of ancient inscriptions (epigr ...

in 1742. His main historical work, "The life of the Emperor Julian" (french: Vie de l’empereur Julien) about Roman emperor Julian the Apostate, was written in 1735. It became popular in France and was translated into

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

(1746) and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

(1752), but it also was fiercely criticized by

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

Edward Gibbon Edward Gibbon (; 8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English historian, writer, and member of parliament. His most important work, '' The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788, is ...

used this work when writing "

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ''The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' is a six-volume work by the English historian Edward Gibbon. It traces Western civilization (as well as the Islamic and Mongolian conquests) from the height of the Roman Empire to th ...

" and cited it in the chapter on Julian. In 1748, another work by La Bléterie, "History of Jovian" (french: Histoire de Jovien), telling the story of other Roman emperor

Jovian Jovian is the adjectival form of Jupiter and may refer to: * Jovian (emperor) (Flavius Iovianus Augustus), Roman emperor (363–364 AD) * Jovians and Herculians, Roman imperial guard corps * Jovian (lemur), a Coquerel's sifaka known for ''Zoboomafo ...

, was published. La Bléterie was also an author of a tragedy named "Themistocles".

References

Literature

Joseph-François Michaud Joseph–François Michaud (19 June 1767 – 30 September 1839) was a French historian and publicist. Biography Michaud was born at either La Biolle or Albens in the Duchy of Savoy (then a part of the Holy Roman Empire and a possession of the Ki ...

Louis Gabriel Michaud Louis-Gabriel Michaud (19 January 1773, Castle Richemont – 8 March 1858) was a French writer, historian, printer, and bookseller. He was notable as the compiler of ''Biographie Universelle'' (1811–). Life He became a lieutenant on 15 July ...

, '' Biographie universelle'', Paris, C. Desplaces, t. 4, 1854, . * {{DEFAULTSORT:La Bléterie, Jean-Philippe-René 18th-century French historians Oratorians 1696 births 1772 deaths Writers from Rennes Academic staff of the Collège de France French biographers Members of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres