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Claude Charles Fauriel

French historian, philologist and critic (1772-1844)

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 2, 2026
Entity authorityQ994181
Source-derived summary

Claude Charles Fauriel (French pronunciation: [klod ʃaʁl foʁjɛl]; 21 October 1772 – 15 July 1844) was a French historian, philologist and critic.

Biography

He was born at Saint-Étienne, Loire, the son of a poor joiner, but received a good education in the Oratorian colleges of Tournon and Lyon. He was twice in the army—at Perpignan in 1793, and in 1796–1797 at Briançon, as private secretary to General J Servan de Gerbey (1741–1808); but he preferred the civil service and the companionship of his friends and his books. In 1794 he returned to St Etienne, where, but only for a short period, he filled a municipal office; and from 1797 to 1799 he devoted himself to strenuous study, more especially of the literature and history, both ancient and modern, of Greece and Italy. Having paid a visit to Paris in 1799, he was introduced to Joseph Fouché, minister of police, becoming his private secretary. Though he discharged the duties of this office to Fouché's satisfaction, his strength was worn out by study, and in 1801 he was forced to take a three-month trip in the south. His health also resulted in his resigning his office in the following year, though his actions also had something to do with his scruples about serving longer under Napoleon, when the latter, in violation of his declared republican principles, became consul for life. This is clearly shown by the fragments of Mémoirs discovered by Ludovic Lalanne and published in 1886.

Some articles which Fauriel published in the Decade philosophique (1800) on a work of Madame de Staël's—De la littérature considerée dans ses rapports avec les institutions sociales—led to friendship with her. The salon of Mme de Condorcet was a rallying point for the dissentient republicans.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Claude Charles Fauriel” as french historian, philologist and critic (1772-1844). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Claude, Charles and Fauriel.

Editorial reviewA productive starting point for separating a subject’s documented career from later reputation and commemoration. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1772, 1844, 1793, 1796—that can be checked directly. The authority record carries competing date values—1772-10-21, 1772—which should remain separate until their references and qualifiers are resolved. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Claude, Charles and Fauriel providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Claude Charles Fauriel”, the useful work is to connect “french historian, philologist and critic (1772-1844)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q994181. VIAF identifies the subject as 24601296. The Library of Congress control number is n87900171. 4 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1772, 1844, 1793 and 1796.

Critical limits

Public reputation and documentary evidence do not always develop together; absence from a summary is not evidence of historical absence. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Claude Charles Fauriel” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.