Fulgence Fresnel
Fulgence Fresnel (born April 15, 1795 in Mathieu , France , † November 30, 1855 in Baghdad ) was a French orientalist and diplomat. He was the brother of the physicist Augustin Jean Fresnel .
He first studied natural sciences, literature and languages and translated some works by Berzelius , novellas by the German poet Ludwig Tieck and fragments of a Chinese novel ( Fragments chinois , 1822–23) into French. In Paris he studied with Silvestre de Sacy ; In 1826 he learned the Arabic language at the College of the Maronites in Rome.
In the 1830s he was appointed French consul in Jeddah . Here he became a skilled spokesman for local dialects and came into contact with descendants of the Himjarite kingdom. Fresnel is considered to be the first European to translate ancient Himjar inscriptions .
In 1851 he was appointed head of a scientific expedition to Mesopotamia , on which he was accompanied by the Assyriologist Jules Oppert . When the expedition members were called back to Europe in 1854, Fresnel decided to stay on the spot. He died in Baghdad on November 30, 1855.
Selected Works
- Hoa-tchou-onan ou le Livre mystérieux , 1822
- Poésies du désert de Schanfara , 1834
- Lettres sur l'histoire des Arabes avant l'islamisme , 1837
- "L'Arabie" , published in Revue des Deux Mondes , Volume 17, 1839
- Explications d'inscriptions himyarites , 1838, 1845
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fresnel, Fulgence |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French orientalist and diplomat |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 15, 1795 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Mathieu , France |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 30, 1855 |
| Place of death | Baghdad |