author
Gaston Boissier
1823–1908
Drawn to the Roman world by the ancient monuments of his hometown, he became one of France’s best-known interpreters of classical history. His books bring Rome’s politics, religion, and everyday life close enough to feel lived in, not remote.
1 Audiobook
Cicero and his friends : A study of Roman society in the time of Caesar
by Gaston Boissier
About the author
Born in Nîmes on August 15, 1823, Gaston Boissier was a French classical scholar whose early interest in antiquity was shaped by the Roman remains around him. He went on to build a reputation as a graceful, accessible writer on the ancient world, especially Roman history, literature, and religion.
Boissier is remembered for works such as Cicero and His Friends, Roman Africa, The Country of Horace and Virgil, and The Last Days of Paganism. Across these books, he had a gift for combining scholarship with a sense of place, helping readers imagine the people, beliefs, and political tensions behind the classical texts.
His standing in French literary life was equally notable. He was elected to the Académie française in 1876 and later became its perpetual secretary, while also belonging to the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. He died on November 20, 1908, leaving behind a body of work that made Roman civilization vivid for general readers as well as scholars.