Claude Maltret

(Or MALTRAIT)

French Jesuit, b. at Puy, 3 Oct., 1621; d. Toulouse, 3 Jan., 1674. He entered the Society of Jesus, 12 Oct., 1637. On the completion of his studies, he was engaged for eleven years in teaching belles-lettres and rhetoric and became widely known as a classical scholar. He was then appointed to a professorship in Sacred Scripture, a position which he held for the next nine years. In 1662 he was made rector of the College of Montauban. In the following year he brought out his greatest and best-known work, an edition of the histories of Procopius, with a critical commentary. This work went through many editions, being edited and augmented with notes by other scholars, and was included in the "Synopsis Historiae Byzantinae", published at Venice. From 1672 to 1674 Father Maltret was rector of the novitiate of Toulouse.

His principal works are the following: (1) "Procopii Caesariensis Historiarum Libri VIII"; (2) "Procopii Caesariensis Arcana Historia. Qui est. fiber nonus Historiarum". This is an edition, with critical notes, of the Latin translation of Procopius, made by Nicolaus Alemannus. In the preface of this work Father Maltret promised a translation, with comments, of a Greek poem by Paulus Silentiarus entitled: "Descriptio Ecclesiae Santae Sophiae". This translation, however, was never published, and it is not known whether it was ever completed. (3) "Procopii Caesariensis Historiarum sui temporis de bello Gothico libri quatuor."

There seems to be some doubt as to the correct spelling of Father Maltret's name. Sommervogel gives it as "Maltrait", while Hurter, in his "Nomenclator Litterarius" spells it "Maltres."

SOMMERVOGEL, Bibliotheque de la C. de J.; BACKER, Bibliotheque des Ecrivains de la C. de J.; HURTER, Nomenclator.

JAMES A. TAAFFE