Maurice Croiset French philologist, professor Date of Birth: 21.11.1846 Country: France

1. Birth and Education
2. Early Academic Career
3. Doctorate and the University of Montpellier
4. "Histoire de la littérature grecque"
5. Academic Success and Later Years

Birth and Education

Maurice Croiset was born in Paris in 1846, the son of a teacher at the Lycée Saint-Louis. From a young age, his father instilled in him a passion for education, reading Greek and Latin classics with his sons for an hour each day.

Early Academic Career

After graduating from the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in 1865, Maurice entered the École Normale Supérieure. There, he studied under renowned scholars such as Jules Lachelier, Gaston Boissier, and Jules Girard. Girard, a renowned Hellenist, is believed to have been instrumental in sparking Croiset's interest in Greece.

In 1868, Croiset graduated from the École Normale Supérieure and began his teaching career as a schoolteacher in Moulins. After the Franco-Prussian War, in which he participated in the defense of Paris, he taught in Montpellier.

Doctorate and the University of Montpellier

In 1873, Croiset married the daughter of the dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Montpellier. While teaching there, he worked on his doctoral dissertation, "Les idées morales dans les discours politiques de Démosthène." He earned his doctorate in 1876 and was appointed as a professor of Greek language and literature at the University of Montpellier.

"Histoire de la littérature grecque"

Croiset taught at the University of Montpellier for 15 years, attaining the rank of professor in 1877. During his time there, he continued his research on Greek literature. In 1882, he published a work on the life and works of Lucian.

In 1883, Maurice and his brother Alfred began collaborating on the monumental "Histoire de la littérature grecque," a five-volume work. Maurice was responsible for the first and third volumes, published in 1887 and 1891, respectively. The third volume, on Greek theater, was particularly groundbreaking, providing a nuanced analysis of its development and genres.

Academic Success and Later Years

The success of the "Histoire" propelled Maurice Croiset's academic career to new heights. In 1891, he was invited to teach at the École Normale Supérieure, and two years later, he became professor of Greek language and literature at the Collège de France.

In 1903, Croiset was elected to the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. He became its president in 1916 and also served as president of the Association pour l'encouragement des études grecques en France.

In his later years, Croiset dedicated himself to the Association Guillaume Budé, which he founded in 1917, and the publishing house Les Belles Lettres, specializing in ancient texts. His last major work, "La civilisation hellénique," was published in 1932, while his work on Plato remained unfinished.