Jean, born at Lyon in 1670, and educated at the Oratoire, distinguished himself in the dispute concerning Homer between La Motte and Madame Dacier, by writing a Dissertation Critique sur l'Iliade d'Homère, Paris, 1715, 2 tom. 12mo. Among other works, he likewise wrote a political and moral romance called Sethos. It is a publication of considerable learning and ability. He published a French translation of Diodorus Siculus, Paris, 1737-44, 7 tom. 12mo. Terrasson is commonly described as Abbé, but he only appears to have been in subdeacon's orders. In 1721 he became professor of Greek and Latin in the College of France. Having outlived his memory, he died at Paris on the 15th of September 1750. Four years after his death there appeared a small work by him on the Cartesian philosophy, entitled La Philosophie applicable à tous les objets de l'Esprit et de la Raison, 1754. Terrasson, who was a member of the French Academy and of the Academy of Sciences, had his éloge written by d'Alembert.