About Peter Helias
Lived 1100 – 1200. Peter Helias was a French author and linguist.
Peter Helias ( or ; – after 1166) was a medieval priest and philosopher. Born in Poitiers, he became a pupil of Thierry of Chartres at Paris in the 1130s, also teaching grammar and rhetoric in his school. Around 1155 he returned to Poitiers where he later died.
Through Thierry, he is meant to have been influenced particularly by Boethius; other influences include William of Conches. He contributed to the theory of substance and influenced Roger Bacon's Overview of Grammar.
In linguistics, he is regarded as having contributed ideas key to the development of grammatical categories such as parts of speech.
Works A commentary on Cicero's De inventione c. 1150: Summa super Priscianum, an updated textbook on Priscian's Institutiones grammaticae, edited by Leo A. Reilly, Toronto 1993
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Important facts
People in Peter Helias's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Peter Helias's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Peter Helias?
French philosopher
When was Peter Helias born?
Peter Helias was born in 1100.
When did Peter Helias die?
Peter Helias died in 1200.
What was Peter Helias's occupation?
Peter Helias was an author and linguist.
What nationality was Peter Helias?
Peter Helias was French.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter Helias. https://biography.guide/peter-helias/
MLA: "Peter Helias." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-helias/.
Chicago: "Peter Helias." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-helias/.
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