Pierre Gilles

Pierre Gilles (Gyllius, Albi 1490 - Rome C. 1555)

Biography

Tutor of Georges of Armagnac, Pierre Gilles is then in Paris near the Robertet canon. It writes a graeco-latin lexicon and translates Elien. Interested by fish, studies them on the shores of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In Venice, it meets Lazare de Baïf. It is in Rome in 1540. Four years later, it is on mission: it must bring back the East of the manuscripts for the library of François Ier. It translates into Latin a manuscript of Elien. With André Thevet he visits the ruins of Chalcédoine. In 1548, it engages in the Turkish army and follows Soliman to Persia. In 1549, it meets Guillaume Postel in Jerusalem. It goes then to Constantinople (1550) and becomes captive pirates. Its guard, G. of Armagnac pays his ransom.

Editions

"Latin facti, itemque Ex Eliani historia… ex Porphyrio, Heliodoro, Oppiano… luculentis accessionibus aucti libri XVI. From VI and animalium" will natura; , Lyon, S. Gryphe, 1535
" De Bosphoro Thracio libri III" , Lyon, G. Roville, 1561
" Of topographia Constantinopoleos and illius antiquitatibus libri IV" , Lyon, G. Roville, 1561
" Descriptio nova Elephanti" , Hamburg, 1614

Studies

“To travel with the Rebirth”, J. Céard and J. - C. Margolin, Paris, 1987, p. 381-392
" Writings of Levant" , F.D. Tinguely, 1995
“the Twilight of the Great Voyage”, M. - C. Gum-Géraud, Paris, 1999

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