Term Papers on Michael Nostradamus

Term Paper Title	Michael Nostradamus
# of Words	1104
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	4.42

Michael Nostradamus

     For centuries Nostradamus's prophecies have inspired fear and controversy.  His followers
say he predicted the French Revolution, the birth and rise of Hitler, and the assassination of John F.
Kennedy.  Did he, as his believers' claim, predict some of history's most monumental events - from
the Great Fire of London to the launch disaster of the space shuttle Challenger?  Nostradamus was
typical of the Renaissance time period.  He made many prophecies and was a major contributor to
not only the Renaissance, but also the 'Spirit of the Renaissance'.

     Michael de Nostrodame (or his more used Latin name of Nostradamus) was born a Jew in
the small town of St. Remy de Province in southern France on the 14th of December 1503.  Little is
known about Nostradamus's family apart from Jean, his youngest brother, became Procurer of the
Parliament of Province.

     As a small boy Nostradamus underwent significant changes in his life.  While Nostradamus
was a child his family was forced to convert to Roman Catholicism.  Around this time he was sent
to live with his grandfather, Jean de Saint Remy, who taught him the basics of Latin, Greek,
Hebrew, Mathematics and Astrology?

     A few years later Nostradamus's grandfather died and he went to Avignon to finish his
schooling.  Whilst at Avignon he also believed, as did Galileo, that the Earth was round and circled
the sun.

     Nostradamus used his ability to help people through harsh times and did not even fear for
his own life.  In 1525 he received his Bachelor's degree for Medicine and went to help the fight
against the 'Black Death' that was feared throughout the Renaissance period.  After traveling for
almost four years helping the sufferers of the Plague, he returned to Avignon and won fame for his
eagerness for learning, which ties in with the spirit of the Renaissance.

     In 1532 he earned his Doctorate and became a Professor at the Montipellier University but
resigned within the same year.  He then moved to Agen, married and had a son and daughter.  His
life now seemed complete until an outbreak of the Plague in Agen that killed his wife and children.
     In 1538, he was accused of heresy because of a remark about a statue of the Virgin Mary
being like a devil that he had made years before.  The Inquisitors sent him to Toulouse to stand
trial.

     Leoni, Edgar stated that in 1554 Nostradamus settled in Marseilles after wandering for six
years keeping well clear of the church authorities.  During this time legends started to appear about
his foreseeing powers.  It was not until later however that he received his fame with his prophetic
visions of the future - nine hundred forty two cryptic poems called The Centuries - which have
preoccupied generation after generation of readers.

     The Centuries (ten in total) were written in poem like form and contained hard-to-break
codes that were use to stop attention being drawn to himself, as the church authorities could not
arrest him for writing gibberish, because in that time prophecies were considered as witch craft or
devil work.  The Centuries were written by night as not to be seen in 1555.

     He eventually settled down in the town of Salon, France in 1554 where he married his
second wife, Anne Ponsart Gemelle, with whom he rose six children -thre...

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