Philippe Labbe ( la, Philippus Labbeus; 10 July 1607 – 16 or 17 March 1667) was a French Jesuit writer on historical, geographical and philological questions. Born in

Bourges Bourges () is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry. History The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, ...

, he entered the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

on 28 September 1623, at the age of 16. After literary, philosophical and theological studies, he successively taught classes of rhetoric and philosophy. He then held the chair of theology for five years. His memory was quick and retentive, his erudition extensive and accurate. He expressed his devotion to

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religi ...

and the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

in elegant Latin verse. Labbe wrote more than 80 literary, philosophical and theological works. Every year witnessed the production of one or more of his works, so that in the field of history Labbe and

Denis Pétau Denis Pétau (21 August 158311 December 1652), also known as Dionysius Petavius, was a French Jesuit theologian. Life Pétau was born at Orléans, where he had his initial education; he then attended the University of Paris, where he successfully ...

have been considered the most remarkable of all French Jesuits. In 1647

Nicolas Sanson Nicolas Sanson (20 December 1600 – 7 July 1667) was a French cartographer who served under two kings in matters of geography. He has been called the "father of French cartography." Life and work He was born of an old Picard family of Sco ...

accused the Jesuit Labbe of plagiarizing him in his ''Pharus Galliae Antiquae''; his accusation was published in Sanson's ''In Pharum Galliae antiquae Philippi L'Abbe disquisitiones'' (1647–1648). He died in Paris in 1667.

Selected works

*''Tirocinium Linguæ Græcæ etc.'' (1648) *''La Géographie royale'' (1646) *''De Byzantinæ historiæ scriptoribus, etc.'' (1648) *''Concordia sacræ et profanæ chronologiæ annorum 5691 ab orbe condito ad hunc Christi annum 1638'' (1638) *''Bibliotheca antijanseniana'' (1654) *''Bibliotheca bibliothecarum'' (1664) *''Sancrosancti Oecumenici Tridentini Concilii . . . canones et decreta'' (1667) *''Sacrosancta concilia ad regiam editionem exacta'' (with Gabriel Cossart)

Selected works

References

See also