Œuvres de Voltaire Tome XIX: Siècle de Louis XIV.—Tome I

Edited by A. J. Q. Beuchot

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"Le Siècle de Louis XIV" by Voltaire is a philosophical work published in 1751. Rather than chronicling the actions of King Louis XIV alone, Voltaire aims to capture the spirit of what he considered the most enlightened century. Structured as a comprehensive catalog, the work lists writers, artists, marshals, ministers, and sovereigns of the era. Through battle accounts, diplomatic maneuvers, and cultural achievements, Voltaire illustrates both the king's encouragement of arts and sciences and the period's apex of human intellect, avoiding mere hagiography to become a genuine historian of seventeenth-century France.

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