Herbert Weir Smyth
Encyclopedia
Herbert Weir Smyth was an American
classical
scholar. His comprehensive grammar of ancient Greek
has become a standard reference on the subject in English, comparable to William Watson Goodwin
's, whom he succeeded as Eliott Professor of Greek Literature at Harvard University
.
He was educated at Swarthmore
(A.B.
1876), Harvard (A.B. 1878), Leipzig
, and Göttingen
(Ph.D.
1884). From 1883 to 1885 he was instructor in Greek and Sanskrit
at Williams College
, and then for two years was reader in Greek at Johns Hopkins
. From 1887 to 1901 he was professor of Greek at Bryn Mawr
. In the latter year he was called to Harvard as professor of Greek and in 1902 was appointed Eliott professor of Greek literature, succeeding Goodwin. From 1899 to 1900 he was professor of the Greek language
and literature
at the American Classical School
at Athens. From 1889 to 1904 he was secretary of the American Philological Association
and editor of its Transactions and in 1904 was elected president. He became a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
, a member of the American Philosophical Society
and vice-president of the Egypt Exploration Society
.
He was editor of the Greek Series for Colleges and Schools (20 volumes).
Publisher noted
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
classical
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
scholar. His comprehensive grammar of ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
has become a standard reference on the subject in English, comparable to William Watson Goodwin
William Watson Goodwin
William Watson Goodwin , American classical scholar, was born in Concord, Massachusetts - son of Hersey Bradford Goodwin and Lucrettia Watson....
's, whom he succeeded as Eliott Professor of Greek Literature at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
He was educated at Swarthmore
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
(A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
1876), Harvard (A.B. 1878), Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, and Göttingen
Georg-August University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen , known informally as Georgia Augusta, is a university in the city of Göttingen, Germany.Founded in 1734 by King George II of Great Britain and the Elector of Hanover, it opened for classes in 1737. The University of Göttingen soon grew in size and popularity...
(Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
1884). From 1883 to 1885 he was instructor in Greek and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, and then for two years was reader in Greek at Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. From 1887 to 1901 he was professor of Greek at Bryn Mawr
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
. In the latter year he was called to Harvard as professor of Greek and in 1902 was appointed Eliott professor of Greek literature, succeeding Goodwin. From 1899 to 1900 he was professor of the Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and literature
Greek literature
Greek literature refers to writings composed in areas of Greek influence, typically though not necessarily in one of the Greek dialects, throughout the whole period in which the Greek-speaking people have existed.-Ancient Greek literature :...
at the American Classical School
American School of Classical Studies at Athens
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens is one of 17 foreign archaeological institutes in Athens, Greece.-General information:...
at Athens. From 1889 to 1904 he was secretary of the American Philological Association
American Philological Association
The American Philological Association , founded in 1869, is a non-profit North American scholarly organization devoted to all aspects of Greek and Roman civilization...
and editor of its Transactions and in 1904 was elected president. He became a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, a member of the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
and vice-president of the Egypt Exploration Society
Egypt Exploration Society
The Egypt Exploration Society is the foremost learned society in the United Kingdom promoting the field of Egyptology....
.
Works
- The Sacred Literature of the Jains (1894, a translation)
- Sounds and Inflections of Greek Dialects I: The Ionic Dialect (1894)
- Greek Melic Poets (1900)
- Greek Grammar for Schools and Colleges (1916)
- Greek Grammar for Colleges (1920)
- Aeschylean Tragedy (the second Sather Lecture in 1924)
- Aeschylus (Loeb edition)
- "The Greek Language in its Relation to the Psychology of the Ancient Greeks" (read before the Congress of Arts and Sciences at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904);
- "Aspects of Greek Conservatism" (in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, 1906);
- "Greek Conceptions of Immortality from Homer to Plato" (in Harvard Essays on Classical Subjects, 1912)
He was editor of the Greek Series for Colleges and Schools (20 volumes).
Publisher noted
Further reading
- "Herbert Weir Smyth." Ward W. Briggs, Jr., Biographical Dictionary of North American Classicists (Westport/London 1994) 602–604.
External links
- Works by Herbert Weir Smyth at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Herbert Weir Smyth, Greek Grammar at the Christian Classics Ethereal LibraryChristian Classics Ethereal LibraryThe Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a digital library that provides free electronic copies of Christian scripture and literature texts....