William John Woodhouse
Encyclopedia
William John Woodhouse was a classical scholar and author, professor of Greek at the University of Sydney
, England
, the son of Richard Woodhouse, a station master, and his wife Mary, née Titterington. Educated at Sedbergh School
, Yorkshire
, Woodhouse won an open exhibition to Queen's College, Oxford, (B.A., 1889; M.A., 1895). He graduated with a first class in classical and a first class in the final school of Literae Humaniores, was appointed a Newton student at the British School at Athens
, and during 1890 travelled in Greece
and directed the excavations at Megalopolis
.
After another year at Oxford Woodhouse was elected Craven fellow and returned to Greece for two years,
his main work being in connexion with the explorations at Aetolia
. Woodhouse was awarded the Conington memorial prize at Oxford in 1894 for an essay which was expanded into a substantial volume, Aetolia. Its Geography, Topography and Antiquities (1897). In 1897 Woodhouse was appointed lecturer in classics at the University College of North Wales, Bangor
; on 28 March 1897 at the parish church, Sedbergh, Yorkshire, he married Eleanor Emma Jackson. In 1900 Woodhouse was appointed lecturer in ancient history and political philosophy at the University of St Andrews
,
Scotland
.
in 1901, succeeding Walter Scott
and held the chair until his death. Woodhouse was also honorary curator of the Nicholson Museum of Antiquities
at the university, which showed considerable development under his care. In 1908 he travelled back to Greece and laid the foundation for a collection of casts of sculpture for the Museum.
Woodhouse was a teacher who inspired his students, his broad scholarship was relieved by both wit and humour, and he was a most painstaking researcher. Possibly it was the humility of a true scholar that accounted for so much of his work being delayed publication until his later years. These qualities were recognized by his students and he gained both their respect and affection. He shared in the life of the university, helped in the organization of the union, and for a
period was dean of the faculty of arts and a member of the senate. Apart from a few classical textbooks and The Tutorial History of Greece, published in 1904 (fourth impression 1915), Woodhouse for many years published only some contributions to the Journal of Hellenic Studies. Woodhouse brought out The Composition of Homer's Odyssey (1930), a valuable and original contribution to Homeric scholarship. This was followed by King Agis of Sparta and his Campaign in Arkadia in 418 B.C.(1933). His task was to do belated justice to King Agis
"one of those born leaders who, taking no counsel of their fears, but accepting with serene self-reliance risks that appal a mediocre mind, compel their astonished adversaries to taste the bitterness of decisive and sometimes humiliating defeat" (p. 125). Woodhouse's adverse criticism of Thucydides
's description of the battle of Mantineia did not find universal acceptance, but "he seems to have established that Thucydides's account is highly partisan
designed to show Agis in the role of lucky blunderer".
Woodhouse died of cancer in Gordon
, Sydney on 26 October 1937 leaving a widow, a son and a daughter. Woodhouse was the author of The Fight for an Empire, a translation from Tacitus
(1931), and was also a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Biblica
and the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics.
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
Early life
Woodhouse was born at Clifton, WestmorlandWestmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of Richard Woodhouse, a station master, and his wife Mary, née Titterington. Educated at Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School is a boarding school in Sedbergh, Cumbria, for boys and girls aged 13 to 18. Nestled in the Howgill Fells, it is known for sporting sides, such as its Rugby Union 1st XV.-Background:...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Woodhouse won an open exhibition to Queen's College, Oxford, (B.A., 1889; M.A., 1895). He graduated with a first class in classical and a first class in the final school of Literae Humaniores, was appointed a Newton student at the British School at Athens
British School at Athens
The British School at Athens is one of the 17 Foreign Archaeological Institutes in Athens, Greece.-General information:The School was founded in 1886 as the fourth such institution in Greece...
, and during 1890 travelled in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and directed the excavations at Megalopolis
Megalopolis, Greece
Megalópoli is a town in the western part of the peripheral unit of Arcadia, southern Greece. It is located in the same site as ancient Megalopolis . "Megalopolis" is a Greek word for Great city. When it was founded, in 371 BC, it was the first urbanization in rustic and primitive Arcadia. In...
.
After another year at Oxford Woodhouse was elected Craven fellow and returned to Greece for two years,
his main work being in connexion with the explorations at Aetolia
Aetolia
Aetolia is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania.-Geography:...
. Woodhouse was awarded the Conington memorial prize at Oxford in 1894 for an essay which was expanded into a substantial volume, Aetolia. Its Geography, Topography and Antiquities (1897). In 1897 Woodhouse was appointed lecturer in classics at the University College of North Wales, Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
; on 28 March 1897 at the parish church, Sedbergh, Yorkshire, he married Eleanor Emma Jackson. In 1900 Woodhouse was appointed lecturer in ancient history and political philosophy at the University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
,
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Career in Australia
Woodhouse became professor of Greek at the University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
in 1901, succeeding Walter Scott
Walter Scott (scholar)
Walter Scott was an English classical scholar. , professor of classics at the University of Sydney and McGill University, Montreal....
and held the chair until his death. Woodhouse was also honorary curator of the Nicholson Museum of Antiquities
Nicholson Museum
The Nicholson Museum is a museum of antiquities at the University of Sydney. Founded in 1860, it is home to the largest collection of antiquities in both Australia and the Southern Hemisphere...
at the university, which showed considerable development under his care. In 1908 he travelled back to Greece and laid the foundation for a collection of casts of sculpture for the Museum.
Woodhouse was a teacher who inspired his students, his broad scholarship was relieved by both wit and humour, and he was a most painstaking researcher. Possibly it was the humility of a true scholar that accounted for so much of his work being delayed publication until his later years. These qualities were recognized by his students and he gained both their respect and affection. He shared in the life of the university, helped in the organization of the union, and for a
period was dean of the faculty of arts and a member of the senate. Apart from a few classical textbooks and The Tutorial History of Greece, published in 1904 (fourth impression 1915), Woodhouse for many years published only some contributions to the Journal of Hellenic Studies. Woodhouse brought out The Composition of Homer's Odyssey (1930), a valuable and original contribution to Homeric scholarship. This was followed by King Agis of Sparta and his Campaign in Arkadia in 418 B.C.(1933). His task was to do belated justice to King Agis
Agis II
Agis II was the 17th Eurypontid king of Sparta, the eldest son of Archidamus II by his first wife, and half-brother of Agesilaus II. He ruled with his Agiad co-monarch Pausanias....
"one of those born leaders who, taking no counsel of their fears, but accepting with serene self-reliance risks that appal a mediocre mind, compel their astonished adversaries to taste the bitterness of decisive and sometimes humiliating defeat" (p. 125). Woodhouse's adverse criticism of Thucydides
Thucydides
Thucydides was a Greek historian and author from Alimos. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC...
's description of the battle of Mantineia did not find universal acceptance, but "he seems to have established that Thucydides's account is highly partisan
designed to show Agis in the role of lucky blunderer".
Late life and legacy
Woodhouse's last book, Solon the Liberator, a Study of the Agrarian problem in Attika in the Seventh Century (published posthumously, 1938) was completed just before his death. Other books were left unfinished.Woodhouse died of cancer in Gordon
Gordon, New South Wales
Gordon is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gordon is located north-west of the Sydney Central Business District and is the administrative centre for the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council...
, Sydney on 26 October 1937 leaving a widow, a son and a daughter. Woodhouse was the author of The Fight for an Empire, a translation from Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
(1931), and was also a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Biblica
Encyclopaedia Biblica
Encyclopaedia Biblica: A Critical Dictionary of the Literary, Political and Religion History, the Archeology, Geography and Natural History of the Bible , edited by Thomas Kelly Cheyne and J. Sutherland Black, is a critical encyclopedia of the Bible. In Theology/Biblical studies, it is often...
and the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics.