MENANT, Joachim. Cherbourg 16.4.1820 — Paris 30.8.1899. French Assyriologist, with early interest in Iranian religion. Son of Joachim Menant and Amable Boissière, educated in Cherbourg. He became a lawyer (studies at Caen) and worked in administrative positions in different towns, finally from 1872 in Rouen, until retirement in 1890. Last years living in Paris. Married Mlle Regnée (died soon), then Mlle Lefebvre, father of —> Delphine Menant.
Menant accepted early the Akkadian decipherment of Rawlinson, Oppert, et al. and soon became an influential scholar. Beside Cuneiform (including even Hittite), he was much interested in art. Member of A.I.B.-L. 1888.
Publications: Zoroastre. Essai sur la philosophie religieuse de la Perse. 1844, 2nd ed. 28+212 p. P. 1857; “Notice sur les livres sacrés de la Perse”, Mémoires de la Société royale académique de Cherbourg 1843, 23 p.
– “Note sur quatre tablettes achéménides découvertes par M. Chantre à Kara-Euyuk”, CRAI 39, 1895, 126-141.
– Les Acheéménides et les inscriptions de la Perse. 7+176 p. P. 1872.
– Les langues perdues de la Perse & de l’Assyrie. 1-2. 11+173, 16+340 p. P. 1885-86 (1. Perse).
– Les Yézidis: épisodes de l’histoire des adorateurs du diable. 8+232 p. A.M.G. Bibl. de vulgarisation 5. P. 1892.
– Les noms propres assyriens. 64 p. P. 1861; Inscriptions de Hammourabi. 80 p. P. 1863; Les écritures cunéiformes. 8+310 p. P. 1860; Exposé des éléments de la grammaire Assyrienne. 392 p. P. 1868; Annales des rois d’Assyrie. 8+312 p. P. 1874; Manuel de la langue assyrienne. 1880; “Éléments du syllabaire hétéen”, MAIBL 34:2, 1895, 1-112; and much else, also on Mesopotamian art and law.
Sources: *A. de Barthélémy, CRAI 43, 1899, 547-549; Duc de la Tremoïlle, “Notice sur la vie et les travaux de J.M.”, CRAI 1901, 310-324; works in data.bnf.fr; Wikipedia (more details in French version).
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