Robert Schilling (17 April 1913 – 30 October 2004) was a 20th-century French historian and

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

ist, a specialist in the history of

religion in ancient Rome Religion in ancient Rome consisted of varying imperial and provincial religious practices, which were followed both by the Roman people, people of Rome as well as those who were brought under its rule. The Romans thought of themselves as high ...

Biography

A former student of the

École Normale Supérieure École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by Secondary education in France, secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing i ...

where he was admitted in 1935, received at the agrégation de lettres in 1938, Robert Schilling was appointed a member of the

École française de Rome The École française de Rome (EFR) is a French research institute for history, archaeology, and the social sciences; overseen by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, and a division of the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et ...

in 1939. Mobilized until 1941, however, he was unable to make the intended stay. Official representative of the National Museums in 1941, appointed professor in the high school of Moulins (

Allier Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...

) in 1942, he soon after became assistant and lecturer of Latin at the Sorbonne where he was elected maître de conférence in 1945, and some time later professor of Latin language and civilization at the

University of Strasbourg The University of Strasbourg (, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. Founded in the 16th century by Johannes Sturm, it was a center of intellectual life during ...

. He held this position until 1982, the year of his retirement. Since 1957, he also was director of studies at the

École pratique des hautes études The (), abbreviated EPHE, is a French postgraduate top level educational institution, a . EPHE is a constituent college of the Université PSL (together with ENS Ulm, Paris Dauphine or Ecole des Mines). The college is closely linked to É ...

, Vth section, for a teaching about religions of Rome. In the last part of his life, he held the title of ''

emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

'' professor of the university of Strasbourg. In 1988, he was elected a corresponding member of the

Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres The () is a French learned society devoted to history, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the . The academy's scope was the study of ancient inscriptions (epigraphy) and historical literature (see Belles-lettres). History ...

. He was also a correspondent of the Pontifical Academy of Archaeology. He was doctor ''honoris causa'' of the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially ), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (), is a public university, public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The university was founded in 1 ...

, chevalier of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

, officier of the

Ordre des Palmes académiques A suite, in Western classical music, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes; and grew in scope so that by the early 17th century it comprised up to ...

, holder of the croix de guerre 1939-1945, commandeur of the and in 1982, one of the laureates of the Prix Broquette-Gonin awarded by the Académie française for his work ''La Religion romaine de Vénus''.

Principal publications

*1948: ''L'Alsace'', Éditions Fernand Nathan *1954
''La religion romaine de Vénus depuis les origines jusqu'au temps d'Auguste (Review)''
De Boccard, rep. 2003 (thesis). *1979
''Rites, cultes, dieux de Rome (Review)''
Paris, Éditions , 450 pages. *1988: ''Dans le sillage de Rome : Religion, poésie, humanisme'', Klincksieck

Translations

*1944: ''La veillée de Vénus Pervigilium Veneris'',

Les Belles Lettres Les Belles Lettres, founded in 1919, is a French publisher specialising in the publication of ancient texts such as the '' Collection Budé''. The publishing house, originally named ''Société Les Belles Lettres pour le développement de la cu ...

, reprint 2003, 80 pages *1992:

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

, ''Les Fastes'', Tome I, livres I à III; Paris, Les Belles Lettres

Bibliography

* Gustave Hentz, "Jean Léon Robert Schilling", in ', vol. 47, p. 4920 * H. Zehnacker, G. Hentz (éd.), ''Hommages à Robert Schilling'', Paris, 1983. * H. Zehnacker, ''In memoriam'' Robert Schilling (1913–2004), in ''Revue des Études Latines'', tome 82, 2004 (2005), (pp. 15–16). * J.-J. Maffre, Nécrologie dans ''Bulletin de la Société Nationale des Antiquaires de France'', 2004–2005, (pp. 239–240).

External links

Conférence de M. Robert Schilling
on Persée
Allocution à la mémoire de M. Robert Schilling, correspondant de l'Académie
on Persée
Robert Schilling
on the site of the Académie française {{DEFAULTSORT:Schilling, Robert Winners of the Prix Broquette-Gonin (literature) French scholars of Roman history 20th-century French historians Latin–French translators French Latinists École Normale Supérieure alumni Academic staff of the University of Strasbourg Academic staff of the École pratique des hautes études Corresponding members of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres Knights of the Legion of Honour Officiers of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) People from Alsace-Lorraine 1913 births People from Guebwiller 2004 deaths 20th-century French translators