{{Short description|French archaeologist and historian (1841 – 1916)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = | image = Paul Allard (1841–1916).png | imagesize = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1841|09|15|df=yes}} | birth_place = Rouen | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1916|12|04|1841|09|15}} | death_place = Senneville-sur-Fécamp | othername = | occupation = Archaeologist<br>Historian | years_active = | spouse = | signature = }}
'''Paul Allard''' (15 September 1841 – 4 December 1916) was a French archaeologist and historian.
==Biography==
He was admitted to the bar and practised law for a short time in his native city, where he became a judge of the civil court. His literary and his historical tastes induced him to abandon his profession and devote himself to the history of the Catholic Church in its first four centuries.
He contributed frequently to the ''Revue des Questions Historiques'', of which he became editor in 1904, and to various other publications. In 1874 he translated James Spencer Northcote and W. R. Brownlow's ''Roma Sotterranea'', making many additions and annotations to it.
An intimate acquaintance with Giovanni Battista de Rossi and his own studies along various lines, led him to undertake a history of the persecutions suffered by the Christians at the hand of the Roman authorities. Paul Allard and Alexander de Richemont were all closely united to de Rossi by the interests of their common work. The work was planned on very broad lines. Allard had a minute knowledge of Christian archaeology, especially in regard to the Roman Catacombs; he had studied the condition of the Christian slaves, and had a thorough acquaintance with epigraphy and the administrative and constitutional history of Rome.
==''History of the Persecutions''== The main idea of Allard's ''History of the Persecutions'' is that the Christians were unjustly treated by the Roman authorities. He did not acknowledge any incompatibility between the spread of Christianity and the permanence of the Roman Empire, though the acceptance of Christianity by the people necessarily implied the eradication of the old Roman beliefs. The action of the Roman authorities he regarded as ill-advised and brutal. According to Allard, their treatment of the Christians arose from no reasons of statesmanship or adherence to traditional policy, but was based entirely on low and unworthy motives.
The causes of the persecutions he finds in the blind hatred of the Roman authorities against this "third race", in fanaticism, or popular fury.
His conclusions have not been generally accepted.
==Works== His principal works are
* ''Rome souterraine'', Paris, Didier, 1872. * ''[https://archive.org/details/lesesclaveschret0000unse/mode/2up Les Esclaves chrétiens depuis les premiers temps de L’Église jusqu’à la fin de la domination romaine en Occident]'', Didier, 1876/1914. * ''[https://archive.org/details/lartpaiensousle00allagoog L’Art païen sous les empereurs chrétiens]'', Didier, 1879. * ''Histoire des persécutions pendant la première moitié du troisième siècle (Septime Sévère, Maximin, Dèce)'', Paris, V. Lecoffre, 1881. * ''Histoire des persécutions pendant les deux premiers siècles'', V. Lecoffre, 1892. * ''La Persécution de Dioclétien et le triomphe de L’Église'', 2 vols. V. Lecoffre, 1890. * ''[https://archive.org/details/lechristianisme00allagoog Le Christianisme et l’empire romain, de Néron à Théodose]'', V. Lecoffre, 1896. * ''Les Dernières Persécutions du troisième siècle (Gallus, Valérien, Aurélien)'', V. Lecoffre, 1898. * ''[https://archive.org/details/esclavesserfset00allagoog Esclaves, serfs et mainmortables]'', V. Palmé; Brussels, J. Albanel; Geneva, H. Trembley, 1883/1894. * ''Études d’histoire et d’archéologie'', V. Lecoffre, 1898. * ''[https://archive.org/details/saintbasile00allagoog Saint Basile (329-379)]'', V. Lecoffre, 1899. * ''Julien l’apostat'', 2 vols. V. Lecoffre, 1900. * ''St Sidoine Apollinaire, 431-489'', Paris, J. Gabalda, 1910. * ''La Maison des martyrs Saints Jean et Paul au Mont Celius'', Rome, Vespasiani, 1900.
==References== {{Reflist}} {{catholic|wstitle=Paul Allard}}
==External links== {{wikiquote}} {{Wikisource|works=or}} {{commonscat}}
'''Histoire des persécutions en 5 volumes'''
* [https://archive.org/details/HistoireDesPersecutions1 Histoire des persécutions pendant les deux premiers siècles] * [https://archive.org/details/HistoireDesPersecutions2 Histoire des persécutions pendant la première moitié du troisième siècle] * [https://archive.org/details/HistoireDesPersecutions3 Les dernières persécutions du troisième siècle] * [https://archive.org/details/HistoireDesPersecutions4 La persécution de Dioclétien et le triomphe de l'Eglise part 1] * [https://archive.org/details/HistoireDesPersecutions5 La persécution de Dioclétien et le triomphe de l'Eglise part 2] + index alphabétique des 5 tomes
'''Other works''' * {{Internet Archive author |sname=Paul Allard}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allard, Paul}} Category:People from Rouen Category:1841 births Category:1916 deaths Category:19th-century French historians Category:20th-century French historians Category:French historians of religion Category:French archaeologists Category:English–French translators Category:French male non-fiction writers Category:Members of the Ligue de la patrie française Category:19th-century French translators Category:Contributors to the Catholic Encyclopedia Category:19th-century French male writers Category:20th-century French male writers