Jean-Pierre Vernant
January 4, 1914 – January 9, 2007
Jean-Pierre Vernant, wartime resister and classical scholar: born Provins, France 4 January 1914; Director of Studies, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes 1958-75; Director, Centre de Recherches Comparées sur les Sociétés Anciennes 1964-75; Professor, Collège de France 1975-84; married 1939 Lida Nahimovitch (died 1992; one daughter deceased); died Sèvres, France 9 January 2007.
Towards the end of his long life Jean-Pierre Vernant was asked whether he saw any connection between his wartime exploits and his work as a scholar. Surprised by the question, he reflected briefly, and replied that perhaps his later obsession with the figure of Achilles and the concept of the youthful heroic death (la belle mort) did indeed reflect the experiences of himself and his friends in the Resistance.
(excerpted from the obituary of Jean-Pierre Vernant, published in The Independent on January 11, 2007, written by Oswyn Murray.)
To download the complete obituary from The Independent as a pdf file, click here.
To read Nickolas Pappas’ essay, “A philosopher’s appreciation for Jean-Pierre Vernant,” click here.
Bibliography of works
by Jean-Pierre Vernant
Books
Myth and thought among the Greeks (New York: Zone Books; Cambridge, Mass.: Distributed by MIT Press, 2006). French text: Mythe et pensée chez les Grecs; études de psychologie historique (Paris: Maspero, 1971).
Pandora, la première femme (Paris: Bayard; Paris: Bibliothèque nationale de France, 2006).
Corps des dieux, sous la direction de Charles Malamoud et Jean-Pierre Vernant, textes de Jean-Pierre Vernant, Joseph Moingt, Elena Cassin et al (Paris: Gallimard, 2003).
The universe, the gods, and men: ancient Greek myths, translated from the French by Linda Asher (New York: HarperCollins, c2001). French text: L’univers, les dieux, les hommes: récits grecs des origins, (Paris: Seuil, 1999).
Démocratie, citoyenneté et héritage gréco-romain, with Jean-Paul Brisson and Pierre Vidal-Naquet (Paris: Liris, 2000).
Dans l’œil du miroir, with Françoise Frontisi-Ducroux (Paris: Editions Odile Jacob, c1997).
Entre mythe et politique (Paris: Seuil, c1996 – c2004).
Passé et présent: contributions à une psychologie historique, réunies par Riccardo Di Donato (Roma: Edizioni di storia e letteratura, 1995).
Œdipe et ses mythes, with Pierre Vidal-Naquet (Brussels: 1994).
Mortals and immortals: collected essays, Froma I. Zeitlin, editor (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, c1991).
La Grèce ancienne, with Pierre Vidal-Naquet, 3 vols. (Paris: 1990-92).
Myth and Tragedy in Ancient Greece, with Pierre Vidal-Naquet; translated by Janet Lloyd. (New York: Zone Books, c1990). French text: Mythe et tragédie en Grèce
ancienne, 2 vols. (Paris: 1972, 1986).
Mythe et religion en Grèce ancienne (Paris: 1990).
Figures, idoles, masques, (Paris: Julliard, 1990).
L’individu, la mort, l’amour: soi-même et l’autre en Grèce ancienne (Paris: 1989).
Myth and Society in Ancient Greece, Jean-Pierre Vernant; translated by Janet Lloyd. (New York: Zone Books; Cambridge, Mass.: distributed by MIT Press, 1990). French text: Mythe et société en Grèce ancienne (Paris: Maspero, 1974).
The cuisine of sacrifice among the Greeks, with Marcel Detienn and with essays by Jean-Louis Durand, etc; translated by Paula Wissing (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1989). French text: La Cuisine du sacrifice en pays grec, Marcel Detienne et Jean-Pierre Vernant; avec les contributions de Jean-Louis Durand, Stella Georgoudi, François Hartog et Jesper Svenbro (Paris: Gallimard, 1979).
Travail et esclavage en Grèce ancienne, with Pierre Vidal-Naquet (Brussels: 1988).
La mort dans les yeux: figures de l’autre en Grèce ancienne (Paris: Hachette, c1985).
The origins of Greek thought (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1982). French text: Les Origines de la pensée grecque (Paris: Presses universitaires de France, 1969).
Religions, histoires, raisons (Paris: Maspero, 1979).
Cunning intelligence in Greek culture and society, with Marcel Detienne; translated from the French by Janet Lloyd (Hassocks: Harvester Press; Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Humanities Press, c1978). French text: Les ruses de l’intelligence: la mètis des Grecs, with Marcel Detienne (Paris: Flammarion, 1974).
Religion grecque, religions antiques: leçon inaugurale de la chaire d’études comparées des religions antiques, Collège de france, 5 décembre 1975 (Paris: Maspero, c1976).
Divination et rationalité, J. P. Vernant et al (Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1974).
Interviews and media presentations:
From Radio France, click here.
To download a complete blbliography in pdf format, including books, essays, prefaces, introductions, edited volumes, and works on and in honor of Jean-Pierre Vernant, click here.
