Sirmond, Jacques
One of the greatest scholars of the seventeenth century, born at Riom in the Department of Puy-de-Dome, France, October, 1559; died in Paris, 7 October 1651. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1576 and was appointed in 1581 professor of classical languages in Paris, where he numbered St. Francis de Sales among his pupils. Called to Rome in 1590, he was for sixteen years private secretary to the Jesuit superior general, Aquaviva, devoting his leisure moments during the same period to the study of the literary and historical treasures of antiquity. He entertained intimate relations with several learned men then present at Rome, among them Bellarmine and particularly Baronius, whom he was helpful in the composition of the “Annales”. In 1608 he returned to Paris, and in 1637 became confessor to King Louis XIII. His first literary production appeared in 1610, and from that date until the end of this life almost every year witnessed the publication of some new work. The results of his literary labours are chiefly represented by editions of Greek and Latin Christian writings. Theodoret of Cyrus, Ennodius, Idatius of Gallicia, Sidonius Apollinaris, Theodulph of Orleans, Paschasius Radbertus, Flodoard, and Hincmar of Rheims are among the writers whose works he edited either completely or in part. Of great importance were his editions of the capitularies of Charles the Bald and successors and the ancient councils of France: “Karoli Calvi et successorum aliquot Franciae regum Capitula” (Paris, 1623); “Concilia antiqua Galliae” (Paris, 1629). His collected works, a complete list of which will be found in de Backer- Sommervogel (VII, 1237-60), were published in Paris in 1696 and again at Venice in 1728.
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DE BACKER-SOMMERVOGEL, Bibl. De la comp. de Jésus, VII (Brussels, 1896), 1237-61; COLOMIÈS, Vie du Père Sirmond (La Rochelle, 1671); CHALMERS, Biog. Dict. (London, 1816), s. v.
N.A. WEBERTranscribed by Scott Anthony Hibbs
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIVCopyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, July 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Sirmond, Jacques
a learned French Jesuit, was born at Riom, Oct. 12, 1559, being the son of the provost of that place. At the age of ten he was sent to the College of Billon, entered the Society of Jesuits in 1576, and took the vows two years after. He was sent to Paris, where he taught classical literature two years and rhetoric three, having Francis de Sales as one of his pupils. During this time he acquired his knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages. In 1586 he began his course of divinity, which lasted four years. In 1590 he was sent to Rome by the general of the order, Aquaviva, to become his secretary, which office he filled for sixteen years. The study of antiquities was at that time his principal object, and he became noted as an antiquarian. He returned to Paris in 1608. Pope Urban VIII had a desire to draw him again to Rome, and caused a letter for that purpose to be sent to him by father Vittelleschi, general of their order; but Louis XIII retained him, and in 1637 appointed him his confessor. In 1643, after the death of Louis XIII, he left the court and resumed his ordinary occupations. In 1645 he went to Rome, for the sake of assisting at the election of a general, upon the death of Vittelleschi; and then returned to France and resumed his studies. But, having engaged in a warm dispute in the College of the Jesuits, the exertion brought on a disorder which carried him off in a few days. He died Oct. 7, 1651. Much of Sirmond’s life and the better part of his reputation relate to his labors as an editor. His works, as author and editor, amount to fifteen volumes, folio, five of which contain his original productions. They were printed at the royal printing house, Paris, 1696, under the title Jacobi Sirmondi Opera Varia, nunc primum Collecta, ex ipsius Schedis Emendatiora, Notis Posthumis, Epistolis, et Opusculis aliquibus Auctiora. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.