Son of a merchant, he defended in 1825 in Paris, his thesis on Hesiod. He is a substitute for Claude Fauriel to the Sorbonne (1837-1838), then professor of foreign literature at the faculty of letters of Lyon (1842), correspondent of the Institute, and finally inspector general of secondary education for the teaching of modern languages (1855-1862). From 1860 to 1863, he was vice-president of the juries for modern language competitions (German-English).
He writes extensively, as evidenced by his numerous works relating to classical, foreign and oriental languages and literatures, and to the comparative grammar of Indo-European languages, which he was one of the first to cultivate in France. Despite his classical training, his in-depth knowledge of Greek and Latin, his various centers of interest, he contributed to the development of the teaching of German and English in France, at a time when modern languages were few and far between. popular in colleges and high schools.
He was a member of several societies and academies including theStanislas Academy2.
- Librarian of Queen Marie-Amélie (appointed in 1831)
He replaced Fauriel at the Sorbonne before being appointed professor of foreign literature at the Faculty of Letters of Lyon.
- Literator, Inspector General of Public Education of the Academy of Paris.
He is buried in Pere Lachaise Cemetery (53e division)3.