"He is a man of good birth and excellent education, endowed by Nature with a phenomenal mathematical faculty. At the age of twenty-one he wrote a treatise upon the Binomial Theorem, which has had a European vogue. On the strength of it, he won the Mathematical Chair at one of our smaller Universities, and had, to all appearance, a most brilliant career before him." -- Sherlock Holmes in 'The Final Problem'
"Is he not the celebrated author of The Dynamics of an Asteroid - a book which ascends to such rarefied heights of pure mathematics that it is said that there was no man in the scientific press capable of criticizing it?" -- Sherlock Holmes in 'The Valley of Fear'
Though Watson says that Moriarty is unknown to the public.
Professor Moriarty was created in 1893.
Professor James Moriarty a fictional character and the archenemy of the detective Sherlock Holmes
Professor Moriarty.
Professor Moriarty
It is professor James Moriarty who is shown in the second movie.
Professor Moriarty is a character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He is the archnemesis of Detective Sherlock Holmes, and appears in a number of Doyle's pieces of fictions centering on Holmes.
James
He created the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, as well as the surrounding well-known characters, such as Dr. John Watson, Professor Moriarty, Irene Adler, etc...
Professor James Moriarty. a retired mathematics professor, Holmes refers to him as "the Napoleon of crime." In the case, "The Final Problem" found in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Holmes takes on this criminal mastermind in a battle of wits and physical prowess that ultimately ends in the apparent death of both in Reichenbach Falls.
Colonel Sebastian Moran unless you count his younger brother Colonel James Moriarty, a station-master in the West of England.
The role was played by Lionel Atwill
Professor Moriarty (Professor James Moriarty) Moriarty is a criminal mastermind, described by Holmes as the "Napoleon of Crime". Doyle lifted the phrase from a real Scotland Yard inspector who was referring to Adam Worth, one of the real life models for moriarty, Conan Doyle invented ''Moriarty'' to kill off Holmes however ''Moriarty'' was only in two of the Sherlock Holmes Novels, However, in more recent derivative work he is often given a greater prominence and treated as Holmes' primary antagonist. i hope i helped :)