Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haife shi a Broșteni, Caraș-Severin County, a yankin Banat, mahaifinsa Ioachim firist ne na Orthodox na Romania; mahaifiyarsa Calina ("née" Berceanu) ta mutu daga tarin fuka lokacin da Simeon da ɗan'uwansa suke ƙuruciya. Bayan makarantar firamare a ƙauyensa, ya halarci makarantar sakandare a kusa da Oravița kafin ya tafi Szeged, Lugoj da Oradea. Ya yi karatun doka a Jami'ar Royal na Pest daga 1852 zuwa 1855. Yayin da yake can, ya fara koyon yarukan Romanci, musamman Italiyanci da Mutanen Espanya. Daga baya ya tafi Vršac ("Vârșeț"), inda ya ɗauki ilimin tauhidi daga 1856 zuwa 1858, bisa ga nacewar mahaifinsa. Daga baya, karatunsa na tauhidin zai kasance da amfani a bincikensa game da al'adun jama'a, kuma ya kuma koyi yaren Serbia yayin da yake cikin garin. A shekara ta 1858, an nada shi lauyan gwamnati a Timișoara kuma malamin yaren Romaniya da adabi a makarantar motsa jiki a cikin wannan birni. Hakanan a cikin 1858, ya auri Ana Miletici, 'yar wani babban mai ƙasa daga Oravița. A matsayinsa na malami, ya tsunduma cikin ayyukan al'adun Romania. Lokacin da yanayin siyasa ya ba da izini, ya matsa lamba don kafa jaridar yaren Romania a Timișoara, yana gaskanta cewa wannan ita ce hanya mafi kyau ta tsara al'umma da ta zama mara kyau bayan da aka yi wa 'yan tawaye' yan tawaye.
Juyin juya halin 1848. A shekara ta 1861, masu jefa kuri'a na gundumarsa sun zaɓe shi babban mai gudanarwa na gundumar Jamu Mare, kuma ya riƙe wannan mukamin na kimanin shekaru takwas. A cikin 1868, ya wuce jarabawar lauya; a shekara mai zuwa, ya bar gwamnatin gwamnati kuma ya zauna a matsayin lauya a Oravița.