Corneille, Thomas

Born Aug. 20, 1625, in Rouen; died Oct. 8 or Dec. 8, 1709, in Les Andelys. French writer, scholar, and translator; brother of P. Corneille. Member of the French Academy from 1685.

In 1649, Corneille began writing imitations or adaptations of Spanish comedies of intrigue. His lyric tragedy Timocrate (1656) made him famous. A master of dramatic effects, Corneille was a favorite court playwright in France until the end of the 17th century. He wrote plays in various genres, ranging from tragedy to opera in the galant style, sometimes in collaboration with others. During his last years he translated Ovid and worked on academic encyclopedic dictionaries and a history of Louis XIV.