The hybrid status of translators: Pierre-Vincent Benoist between literature, politics and administration

In the tumultuous period spanning the French Revolution to the Restoration, individuals coped with the challenge of navigating successive political transitions, showcasing exceptional adaptability. Pierre-Vincent Benoist (1758–1834) epitomised this versatility, assuming diverse roles as a lawyer, translator from English, secret agent, Napoleonic official, and ultra-royalist deputy. His biography not only sheds light on the experiences of translators disseminating radical content, despite conflicting beliefs, but also illuminates their ‘hybrid status’ as traducteurs-commis, straddling the literary and administrative realms. Benoist’s multifaceted profile facilitated his integration into various networks of artists, hommes de lettres, bureaucrats, and politicians. By examining both aspects of his life that resonated with those of his contemporaries and aspects that made him unique, this contribution aims to use his case as a prism for understanding political, social, and cultural change at the beginning of the nineteenth century.