William Seston (2 June 1900 – 2 October 1983) was a 20th-century French historian and

epigrapher Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

, a specialist of the history of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

. He was professor at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

and a member of the

Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres () is a French learned society devoted to history, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France. The academy's scope was the study of ancient inscriptions (epigr ...

Biography

The son of a Protestant pastor, William Seston was a student of the

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

where he was formed by

Jérôme Carcopino Jérôme Carcopino (27 June 1881 – 17 March 1970) was a French historian and author. He was the fifteenth member elected to occupy seat 3 of the Académie française, in 1955. Biography Carcopino was born at Verneuil-sur-Avre, Eure, son of a ...

. A professor of history and geography, he became 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 1926. In 1927 he participated in the excavation of the ''Rapidum'' camp in Djouab in the former Numidia in today Algeria. After teaching in high schools in Nîmes and Marseille, he obtained a position at the

University of Strasbourg The University of Strasbourg (french: Université de Strasbourg, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. The French university traces its history to the ea ...

in 1929. In 1935 he was appointed to the

University of Bordeaux The University of Bordeaux (French: ''Université de Bordeaux'') is a Lists of universities in France, public university based in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in Southern France, southwestern France. It has several campuses in the cities and towns of Bor ...

, where he directed the '. Called in Montpellier (1941) and Toulouse (1942), he became head of the then newly created division of historical antiquities. He then joined the

in 1944 before holding the chair of Roman history in 1949, and ended his career as Director of Ancient History Research Center. When he left in 1969, his post was taken over by

André Chastagnol André Chastagnol (21 February 1920 – 2 September 1996) was a French historian, specializing in Latin epigraphy and literature. After teaching at the Universities of Algiers, Rennes and Paris-X, he finished his career as a professor at the ...

. In 1970 he became a member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. His thesis on Diocletian and the

Tetrarchy The Tetrarchy was the system instituted by Roman emperor Diocletian in 293 AD to govern the ancient Roman Empire by dividing it between two emperors, the ''augusti'', and their juniors colleagues and designated successors, the '' caesares'' ...

profoundly influenced the historiography of the Lower Empire. An historian highly attentive to law, he made important contributions to the study of

Roman citizenship Citizenship in ancient Rome (Latin: ''civitas'') was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in Ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, t ...

, particularly through the publication of '' Tabula Banasitana''. His colleagues, friends and students offered him a volume of ''

Festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

'' in 1974''Mélanges d'histoire ancienne offerts à William Seston'' (Publications de la Sorbonne, Série « Études », 9), Paris, De Boccard, 1974, 512 p.

Publications (selection)

Books

*1946: ''Dioclétien et la tétrarchie'', thesis *1980: ''Scripta Varia. Mélanges d'histoire romaine, de droit, d'épigraphie et d'histoire du christianisme'', Publication de l'École française de Rome, Rome, 198
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Articles

*1931: « L'empereur Claude et les chrétiens », ''Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuse'', 11, p. 40-73. *1932: « La libération des légionnaires romains d'après un papyrus récemment publié », Comptes rendus des scéances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres (CRAI), 76-3, p. 311-313. *193: « Remarques sur le rôle de la pensée d'Origène dans les origines du monachisme », ''Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuse'', 13, p. 197-213. *1934: ''Le monastère d'Aïn-Tamda et les origines de l'architecture monastique en Afrique du Nord'', '' MEFR'', 51-1, p. 79-113 ; Extrait des ''Mélanges de l'École française de Rome'', De Boccard, Paris, 34 p. *1938: « Achilleus et la révolte de l'Égypte sous Dioclétien, d'après les papyrus et lHistoire Auguste'' », ''MEFR'', 55-1, p. 184-200, currently in ''Scripta Varia'', Rome, 1980, p. 423-439. *1939: « Le Roi sassanide Narsès, les Arabes et le manichéisme », ''Mélanges syriens offerts à R. Dussaud'', p. 227-234, now in ''Scripta Varia'', Rome, 1980, p. 561-56
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*1946: « Hypothése sur la date de la basilique constantinieme de Saint-Pierre de Rome »,'' Cahiers d'archéologie'', 2, p. 153-159. *1947: in collaboration with Charles Perrat, « La basilique funéraire païenne de Saint-Irénée de Lyon », ''Revue des Études Anciennes'', 49, p. 139-159. *1950: « La table de Bronze de Magliano et la réforme électorale d'Auguste », ''CRAI'', p. 105-111 (now in ''Scripta Varia'', Rome, 1980, p. 133-14
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*1954: « Le ''Clipeus virtutis'' d'Arles et la composition des ''Res Gestae Divi Augusti'' », ''CRAI'', 98-3, p. 286-297 now in ''Scripta Varia'', Rome, 1980, p. 121-132. *1961: with

Maurice Euzennat Maurice Euzennat (15 Novembre 1926 – 25 July 2004) was a French historian and archaeologist. Career After he passed his agrégation in history and resided at the école française de Rome between 1951 and 1954, Maurice Euzennat made a par ...

, « La citoyenneté romaine au temps de Marc Aurèle et de Commode, d'après la ''Tabula Banasitana'' », ''CRAI'', 105-2, p. 317-324
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*1967: « Remarques sur les institutions politiques et sociales de Carthage, d'après une inscription latine de Thugga », ''CRAI'', 111-2, p. 218-223. *1973: « La Citoyenne romaine », ''XIIIe Congrès International des sciences historiques, (Moscow, 16–23 October 1970)'', Moscow, p. 31-52, now in ''Scripta Varia'', Rome, 1980, p. 3-1
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*1971: with Maurice Euzennat, « Un dossier de la chancellerie romaine : La ''Tabula Banasitana''. Etude de diplomatique », 115-3, ''CRAI'', p. 468-490
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*1976: « Le droit au service de l'impérialisme romain », ''CRAI'', p. 637-647. *1978: « La'' lex Julia'' de 90 av. J.-C. et l'intégration des Italiens dans la citoyenneté romaine », ''CRAI'', p. 529-542.

Published lessons

* ''Les institutions et la vie politique à Rome sous les Flaviens et les Antonins'', U.N.E.F., Paris, 1965, 3 fascicules : 46 p., 35 p., 58 p. * '' Le monde romain au 3e siècle : cours de M. Seston 1964-1965'', U.N.E.F., Paris, sans date, 3 fascicules : 30 p., 54 p., 19 p.

Direction d'ouvrages

* Fernand Chapouthier, William Seston, Pierre Boyancé éd., ''Mélanges d'études anciennes offerts à Georges Radet, directeur de la Revue des études anciennes,/ par les collaborateurs de la revue'', 1940. * J. Heurgon, G. Picard, W. Seston,'' Mélanges d'archéologie, d'épigraphie et d'histoire offerts à Jérome Carcopino'',1966.

References

Bibliography

Charles Pietri Charles Pietri (18 April 1932 – 7 August 1991) was a 20th-century French historian and university professor. Biography A former pupil at the , Pietri entered the École normale supérieure in 1952 and obtained his agrégation d'histoire. He ...

, « William Seston (1900-1983) », ''MEFRA'', 95-2, 1983, p. 535-53
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* Paul-Marie Duval, « Allocution à l'occasion du décès de M. William Seston, membre de l'Académie », ''CRAI'', 127-3, 1983, p. 463-46
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Seston, William French scholars of Roman history Members of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres École Normale Supérieure alumni People from Gard 1900 births 1983 deaths Academic staff of the University of Paris