Mateo Aimerich facts for kids

Mateo Aimerich (born 1715, died 1799) was a Spanish scholar from Bordils, Province of Girona, Spain. He was especially known for his work in philology, which is the study of languages and old texts.

His Life Story

Mateo Aimerich joined the Society of Jesus (a group of Catholic priests and brothers, also called Jesuits) when he was eighteen years old. After finishing his studies, he taught philosophy and theology at different colleges run by his Order.

Later, he became the head, or "rector," of the Barcelona and Cervera universities. He also served as the "chancellor" of the University of Gandia.

In 1767, while he was in Madrid supervising the printing of some books, a big change happened. The King of Spain ordered all Jesuits to leave the country. Mateo Aimerich left without complaining. He focused on comforting his fellow Jesuits, especially those who were old or sick.

He moved to Ferrara, Italy, where he lived in exile. It was there that he did most of his important work on languages and ancient writings. He mostly relied on the public library for his research. Even then, his health often made it hard for him to visit the library.

Mateo Aimerich passed away in Ferrara, Italy, in 1799.

His Important Works

Besides some writings on philosophy and religious topics, Mateo Aimerich wrote several important books. His most famous work was:

• Novum Lexicon historicum et criticum antiquae romanae literaturae. This was a large dictionary and guide to ancient Roman literature. It was this work that made him well-known.

He also left behind an unfinished manuscript that was meant to be a supplement to his dictionary. He wrote several speeches in Latin too.