Adrianus Turnebus facts for kids
Adrianus Turnebus (whose French name was Adrien Turnèbe or Tournebeuf) was a very smart French scholar who lived from 1512 to 1565. He was famous for his deep knowledge of ancient Greek and Latin writings.
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The Life of a Scholar
Turnebus was born in a place called Les Andelys in Normandy, France. When he was just twelve years old, he moved to Paris to study. People quickly noticed how incredibly talented and smart he was.
Becoming a Professor
After finishing his studies, Turnebus became a professor of "belles-lettres" (which means beautiful writing and literature) at the University of Toulouse. In 1547, he returned to Paris. There, he became a royal professor of Greek language at the famous Collège Royal (now called the Collège de France). In 1562, he switched his teaching role to become a professor of Greek philosophy instead.
Working with Books
In 1552, Turnebus was given an important job: he was in charge of printing Greek books at the royal printing press. His friend, Guillaume Morel, helped him with this work. A very famous scholar named Joseph Justus Scaliger was one of his students. Adrianus Turnebus passed away in Paris on June 12, 1565.
A Great Mind
The famous French writer Montaigne once said that Turnebus "knew more and better, what he knew, than any man in his age or of many ages past." This shows how highly people thought of his knowledge. Adrianus Turnebus was also the father of Odet de Turnèbe.
His Important Works
Adrianus Turnebus wrote many important books and papers. Most of his work focused on understanding and explaining old texts.
Understanding Ancient Texts
His writings mainly included detailed studies about language and literature (called philology). He also wrote commentaries, which are like detailed explanations, for works by famous ancient writers. These included Aeschylus, Sophocles, Theophrastus, Philo Judaeus, and parts of Cicero's writings.
Translating Old Languages
Turnebus was also skilled at translating. He translated many works from ancient Greek into Latin and even into French. After he passed away, his son Étienne published all of his collected works in three large books in 1600. Another son, Adrien, published his "Adversaria." This book contained many explanations and corrections for difficult parts of classical authors' texts.
