La nef des dames vertueuses, published in 1503, stands as one of the earliest defenses of women written in the French language. Authored by Symphorien Champier, the text integrated neoplatonic philosophy to advocate for the virtue and status of women, marking a departure from his primary focus on medical and historical scholarship during the sixteenth century.
Medical Career and Academic Influence
Champier earned a doctorate in medicine and served as the personal physician to Antoine, Duke of Lorraine. His professional trajectory involved traveling to Italy alongside Louis XII, where he gained exposure to military medicine and diverse anatomical observations. Upon returning to France, he settled in Lyon and founded the College of the Doctors of Lyon. His work in the city aligned with Lyon's status as a major hub for medical publishing, bolstered by editors such as Sébastien Gryphe. Later in his career, he wrote extensively against Arab medical traditions, arguing they distorted the foundational principles of Greek science.
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Beyond his medical practice, Champier produced a significant volume of historical and academic literature in both Renaissance Latin and Middle French. Key works included Le recueil ou croniques des hystoires des royaulmes d'Austrasie, Les grans croniques de Savoye et Piemont, La nef des princes, and Petit dialogue de noblesse. His intellectual engagements also included a public opposition to alchemy, evidenced by his 1532 publication, Epistola campegiana de transmutatione metallorum contra alchimistas, which directly challenged occultist practices of the period.
Civic Duties and Legacy
In addition to his literary and medical output, Champier served as an alderman in Lyon, contributing to various local institutions including L'École des médecins de Lyon. He maintained a connection to the noble house of Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, through his marriage to Marguerite Terrail. His life concluded in Lyon, where he resided until his death in 1539. A codicil added to his will in May of that year remains the final documented evidence of his activity.
Fast facts
- Born: 1472, Lyon
- Died: 1539, Lyon
- Citizenship: Kingdom of France
- Education: University of Lyon
- Notable medical work: Medicinale bellum inter Galenum et Aristotelem gestum
- Notable literature: La nef des dames vertueuses
- Occupations: Physician, writer, historian, surgeon
Questions readers ask
Did Symphorien Champier have professional rivalries?
Yes, he worked alongside François Rabelais in Lyon, who notably included satirical depictions of Champier in his work, Gargantua and Pantagruel.
What was the significance of La nef des dames vertueuses?
Published in 1503, it is recognized as an early feminist tract that utilized neoplatonism to defend the moral and social standing of women.
Achievements
- Notable work: Janua logice et physice
- Notable work: Medicinale bellum inter Galenum et Aristotelem gestum
- Notable work: La nef des dames vertueuses
