Foucher Paul

Foucher Paul, a learned French-abbot, was born at Tours in 1704, and died at Paris in 1778. He studied theology at the Sorbonne, but showed more fondness for the ancient languages. His chief work, Traite historique de la Religion des Perses, inserted in the Memoirs of the Academy of Inscriptions (tom. 25, 27, 29, 31, 39; German translation by Kleuker, Riga, 1781-3, 2 volumes, 4to), combats the opinion of Hyde that the Persians had preserved natural religion and the worship of the true God. A supplement, after the appearance of Du Perron's Zend Avesta, retracts many of his previous opinions. His next most important work, Richerches sum L'Origine et la Nature de la Religion des Grecs, also inserted in the Memoirs of the Academy, considers the gods of the Greek and Roman pan theon as only deified men, and claims a historical basis for their myths.—Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gener. 18, 284, 285.