Presentation

Born 30 September 1940, Angers, France.

Education and professional career

  • 1960-1965 : Graduate studies in history at the University of Poitiers
  • 1965 : Agrégation in history
  • 1965-1967 : History-geography teacher at Lycée Joffre, Montpellier
  • 1967-1974 : Assistant professor of ancient history, then senior lecturer at the University of Tours
  • 1972 : Thesis defense, Recherches sur Antigone le Borgne et son temps (Research on Antigone le Borgne and her time)
  • 1974-1999 : Professor of Ancient History at the University of Toulouse-II Le Mirail
  • 1999-2012 : Professor at the Collège de France, Chair of History and Civilization of the Achaemenid World and Alexander's Empire
  • Visiting Professor, Pisa

Editorial committees

  • Founder, editorial director and member of the international steering committee of the website www.achemenet.com
  • Founder and director of the " Persika " collection, Éditions de Boccard, Paris
  • Member of the editorial board of the collection " Oriens et Occidens (Studien zu antiken Kulturkontakten und ihrem Nachleben) ", Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart
  • Editor and member of the editorial board ofArta (Achaemenid Research in Texts and Archeology : online journal available at www.achemenet.com

Administrative and scientific responsibilities

  • 2000-2012 : Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Istanbul-Tehran-Central Asia Pole (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Research, CNRS)
  • 2001-2008 : Director of the GDR (CNRS team) RIERA, "Réseau international d'études et de recherches achéménides" 

Learned societies and academies

  • Member of the Association for the Promotion of Iranian Studies
  • Member of the International Association for the Study of Ancient Egyptian Rights
  • Member of the Societas Iranologica Europæa
  • Corresponding member of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres
  • Corresponding member of the Deutsche Archäologische Institut
  • Corresponding member of the British Academy

Awards and distinctions

  • 1974 : Zographos Prize, Association for the Promotion of Greek Studies
  • 1993 : Visiting Professor, Padua
  • 1996 : Visiting Professor, Chicago
  • 1997 : Roman and Tania Ghirshman Prize, Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres
  • 1998 : Grand Prix d'Iranologie: Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Tehran
  • 1999 : Honorary doctorate, University of Chicago

Chair