Petavius, DIONYSIUS,

Petavius, DIONYSIUS, the name by which the great Catholic theologian Denys Petau is usually known. Born at Orleans, 21st August 1583, he studied at Orleans and Paris, became a teacher in the university of Bourges in 1602, in 1605 entered the order of Jesuits, and 1621 was made professor of Theology in the university of Paris. This post he held for twenty-two years, but in 1646 he retired and devoted himself to the completion of a remarkable series of works in philology, history, and theology. Of his 49 works among the best known are editions of Synesius (1611) and Epiphanius (1622); De Doctrina Temporum (1627); Tabulae Chronologicae (1628); Rationarium Temporum, an outline of universal history (1634); and De Theologicis Dogmatibus, a history of doctrines (1644-50; new ed. by Thomas, 8 vols. 1864 et seq.); besides polemical works against Grotius and Salmasius. He died in Paris, 11th December 1652.