Raul d'Ávila Pompeia was born on April 12, 1863, and died on December 25, 1895. He was a Brazilian novelist, short story writer, and chronicler. He is famous for writing the Impressionist romance O Ateneu. He was the original patron of the 33rd chair in the Brazilian Academy of Letters.

In his later years, Pompeia ended relationships with many former friends. He felt people treated him with disrespect. On Christmas Day in 1895, he ended his life by shooting himself in the chest with a pistol.

Biography

Pompeia was born in 1863 to Antônio d'Ávila Pompeia and Rosa Teixeira Pompeia. As a young man, he attended Colégio Abílio, which was run by Abílio César Borges, the Baron of Macaúbas. He was a good student and edited the school newspaper called O Archote. In 1879, he moved to Colégio Pedro II, where he wrote his first book, Uma Tragédia no Amazonas.

In 1881, he moved to São Paulo to study law. There, he was influenced by ideas that supported ending slavery and creating a republic. He became friends with abolitionist Luís Gama. He wrote for many newspapers in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, often using the name Rapp, though he had many other names too. He published his book Canções Sem Metro and the novel As Joias da Coroa in the Jornal do Commercio. In 1883, he failed his exams and moved to Recife, where he completed his law degree. After returning to Rio de Janeiro, he wrote his most famous book, O Ateneu, in 1888.

After the Lei Áurea, which ended slavery in Brazil, Pompeia focused on the republican movement. When Brazil became a republic, he became a mythology teacher at the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes and director of the National Library of Brazil. He was chosen for these roles by President Floriano Peixoto. However, because he strongly supported Peixoto, he was later fired by President Prudente de Morais. This happened after Pompeia was accused of showing disrespect during a speech at the funeral of Floriano Peixoto, who had died suddenly after his term as president ended.

Pompeia was accused of being homosexual, which led him to challenge his friend, the poet Olavo Bilac, to a duel in 1892. He also ended other friendships in a similar way. Eventually, he became very upset. After being criticized in an article by journalist Luís Murat titled "A Madman in the Cemetery," he felt ashamed and was treated poorly by others. On Christmas Day in 1895, he shot himself in the chest with a pistol and died.

Works

• Uma Tragédia no Amazonas (1880)
• As Joias da Coroa (1882)
• Canções Sem Metro (1883)
• O Ateneu (1888)