Cyrano de Bergerac Biography

Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac, a French satirist and dramatist, masterfully blended political satire with science fantasy, influencing numerous later writers. His life became the subject of romantic, though unhistorical, legends, the most famous being a play portraying him as a gallant, brilliant, yet shy and unattractive lover with a notably large nose. After a military career, he turned to writing under the tutelage of a philosopher and mathematician, embracing scientific theories and libertine philosophy. His imaginary voyages to the Moon and Sun brilliantly satirized contemporary religious and astronomical beliefs, challenging the anthropocentric view of the universe.