Numa Denis Fustel De CoulangesNuma Denis Fustel de Coulanges, (born March 18, 1830, Paris, France-died Sept. 12, 1889, Massy), French historian, the originator of the scientific approach to the study of history in France. After studying at the École Normale Supérieure, he was sen to the French school at Athens in 1853 and directed some excavations at Chios. From 1860 to 1870 he was professor of history at the faculty of letters at the University of Strasbourg, where he had a brilliant career as a teacher. His subsequent appointments included a lectureship at the École Normale Supérieure in February 1870, a professorship at the University of Paris faculty of letters in 1875, the chair of medieval history at the Sorbonne in 1878, and the directorship of the École Normale in 1880. Read More Read Less