Olivier Rayet

Olivier Rayet (23 September 1847,

From 1866 he studied geography and ancient history at the École normale supérieure in Paris, where he was a pupil of Ernest Desjardins, his future father-in-law. In 1869 he obtained his agrégation in history and became a member of the French School at Athens. From 1876 he taught classes in epigraphy and Greek archaeology at the École pratique des hautes études, and three years later, began teaching courses in ancient art at the Collège de France, succeeding Paul Foucart, a professor of epigraphy, who had recently been named director of the French School at Athens. In 1884 he succeeded François Lenormant as chair of archaeology at the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris.^[1]

In 1873 he directed excavations in

• Le temple d'Apollon Didyméen, 1876 – The
  Temple of Apollo (Didyma)
  .
• Milet et le golfe Latmique, 1877–85, with Albert Thomas (2 volumes) –
  Latmian Gulf
  .
• Études d'archéologie et d'art, 1888, with Salomon Reinach – Studies of archaeology and art.
• Histoire de la céramique grecque, 1888, with
  Greek ceramics.^[3]