Amyot, Jacques
Amyot, Jacques
Bishop of Auxerre, Grand Almoner of France, and man of letters, b. 30 October, 1513; d. 6 February, 1593. He studied in Paris at the Collège de France, where he earned his living by performing menial services for his fellow students. Although naturally slow, his uncommon diligence enabled him to accumulate a large stock of classical and general knowledge. He took his degree of Master of Arts at the age of nineteen. A secretary of State engaged him as tutor to his children and recommended him to Marguerite d’Angoulême the only sister of Francis I. He was appointed Professor of Greek and Latin in the University of Bourges. During the ten years in which he held this position, he translated into French the Greek novel “Theagenes and Chariclea” and several of Plutarch’s “Lives”. Francis I, to whom these works were dedicated, conferred upon their author the abbey of Bellozane. After the death of Francis I Amyot accompanied the French ambassador to Venice, and later went to Rome. Cardinal de Tournon, whose favour he had won, sent him with a letter from Henry II to the Council of Trent. On his return the king named him tutor to his two younger sons. He now finished the translation of Plutarch’s “Lives”, and afterwards undertook that of Plutarch’s “Morals”, which he finished in the reign of Charles IX. The latter made him Bishop of Auxerre, Grand Almoner of France, and Curator of the University of Paris. Notwithstanding his success, Amyot did not neglect his studies; he revised all his translations with great care. His translation of Plutarch is the basis of North’s English translation, the source of Shakespeare’s three Roman plays. During his closing years, France was the prey of civil war. Happening to be at Blois when the Guises were murdered, Amyot was falsely accused of having connived at the assassination. This charge greatly afflicted the aged Bishop. It is the general opinion of scholars that, by his translation of Plutarch, Amyot contributed greatly to the refinement of the French language. His style is always simple, charming, picturesque, and pithy. Amyot’s works are: translations of Heliodorus (1547) and of Diodorus Siculus (1554), “Amours pastorales de Daphnis et Chloé” (1559), “Vies des hommes illustres de Plutarque” (1565-75), “(Euvres morales de Plutarque” (1572).
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C. F. A. DE BLÉGNIÈRES, Essai sur Amyot (Paris, 1851); SAINTE BEUVE, Causeries du Lundi, IV.
JEAN LE BARS Transcribed by Vivek Gilbert John Fernandez Dedicated to Amyot and all Catholic Translators.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume ICopyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Amyot, Jacques
bishop of Auxerre and grandalmoner of France, was born at Melun, Oct. 20, 1514, and studied philosophy at Paris in the college of the cardinal Le Moine. Here he took the degree of A.M. at nineteen, and afterwards continued his studies under the professors appointed by Francis I. He went to Bourges at the age of twenty-three, and was made professor of Greek and Latin in the university there. It was during this time that he translated into French the Amours of Theagenes and Chariclea, with which Francis I was so well pleased that he conferred upon him the abbey of Bellozanne. He went to Rome and translated. Plutarch’s Lives and Morals. Henry III conferred upon him the Order of the Holy Ghost, and at the same time decreed that all the grand-almoners of France should be commanders of that order. He did not neglect his studies in the midst of his honors, but revised all his translations with great care, compared them with the Greek text, and altered many passages. He died Feb. 6,1593. Some of his other works are, his translation of Heliodorus (1547, fol.; 1549, 8vo) and of Diodorus Siculus (Paris, 1554, fol.; 1587): Daphnis and Chloe (1559, 8vo).