William Watson Goodwin
Encyclopedia
William Watson Goodwin American
classical scholar, was born in Concord, Massachusetts
- son of Hersey Bradford Goodwin and Lucrettia Watson.
He graduated at Harvard
in 1851, studied in Germany, was tutor in Greek
at Harvard in 1856-1860, and Eliot professor of Greek there from 1860 until his resignation in 1901. He became an overseer of Harvard in 1903. In 1882-1883 he was the first director of the American School for Classical Studies at Athens
.
Goodwin edited the Panegyricus of Isocrates
(1864) and Demosthenes
' On The Crown (1901); and assisted in preparing the seventh edition of Liddell and Scott
's Greek-English Lexicon. He revised an English version by several writers of Plutarch
's Morals (5 vols, 1871; 6th ed., 1889), and published the Greek text with literal English version of Aeschylus
' Agamemnon (1906) for the Harvard production of that play in June 1906.
As a teacher he did much to raise the tone of classical reading from that of a mechanical exercise to literary study. But his most important work was his Syntax of the Moods and Tenses of the Greek Verb (1860), of which the seventh revised edition appeared in 1877 and another (enlarged) in 1890. This was "based in part on Madvig
and Krüger," but, besides making accessible to American students the works of these continental grammarians, it presented original matter, including a "radical innovation in the classification of conditional sentences," notably the "distinction between particular and general suppositions."
Goodwin's Greek Grammar (elementary edition, 1870;.enlarged 1879; revised and enlarged 1892) gradually superseded in most American schools the Grammar of Hadley and Allen. Both the Moods and Tenses and the Grammar in later editions are largely dependent on the theories of Gildersleeve
for additions and changes.
Goodwin also wrote a few elaborate syntactical studies, to be found in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, the twelfth volume of which was dedicated to him upon the completion of fifty years as an alumnus of Harvard and forty-one years as Eliot professor.
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
classical scholar, was born in Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
- son of Hersey Bradford Goodwin and Lucrettia Watson.
He graduated at Harvard
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...
in 1851, studied in Germany, was tutor in Greek
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;...
at Harvard in 1856-1860, and Eliot professor of Greek there from 1860 until his resignation in 1901. He became an overseer of Harvard in 1903. In 1882-1883 he was the first director of the American School for Classical Studies at Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
Goodwin edited the Panegyricus of Isocrates
Isocrates
Isocrates , an ancient Greek rhetorician, was one of the ten Attic orators. In his time, he was probably the most influential rhetorician in Greece and made many contributions to rhetoric and education through his teaching and written works....
(1864) and Demosthenes
Demosthenes
Demosthenes was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide an insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by...
' On The Crown (1901); and assisted in preparing the seventh edition of Liddell and Scott
Robert Scott (philologist)
Robert Scott was an English academic philologist, clergyman, and a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford...
's Greek-English Lexicon. He revised an English version by several writers of Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
's Morals (5 vols, 1871; 6th ed., 1889), and published the Greek text with literal English version of Aeschylus
Aeschylus
Aeschylus was the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, the others being Sophocles and Euripides, and is often described as the father of tragedy. His name derives from the Greek word aiskhos , meaning "shame"...
' Agamemnon (1906) for the Harvard production of that play in June 1906.
As a teacher he did much to raise the tone of classical reading from that of a mechanical exercise to literary study. But his most important work was his Syntax of the Moods and Tenses of the Greek Verb (1860), of which the seventh revised edition appeared in 1877 and another (enlarged) in 1890. This was "based in part on Madvig
Johan Nicolai Madvig
Johan Nicolai Madvig , was a Danish philologist and Kultus Minister.He was born on the island of Bornholm. He was educated at the classical school of Frederiksborg and the University of Copenhagen. In 1828 he became reader, and in 1829 professor of Latin language and literature at Copenhagen, and...
and Krüger," but, besides making accessible to American students the works of these continental grammarians, it presented original matter, including a "radical innovation in the classification of conditional sentences," notably the "distinction between particular and general suppositions."
Goodwin's Greek Grammar (elementary edition, 1870;.enlarged 1879; revised and enlarged 1892) gradually superseded in most American schools the Grammar of Hadley and Allen. Both the Moods and Tenses and the Grammar in later editions are largely dependent on the theories of Gildersleeve
Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve
Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve , was an American classical scholar.-Biography:He was born in Charleston, South Carolina to Emma Louisa Lanneau and Benjamin Gildersleeve...
for additions and changes.
Goodwin also wrote a few elaborate syntactical studies, to be found in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, the twelfth volume of which was dedicated to him upon the completion of fifty years as an alumnus of Harvard and forty-one years as Eliot professor.
Sources
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