The ''Bibliotheca Classica'' (Reading, November, 1788), or ''Classical Dictionary containing a full Account of all the Proper Names mentioned in Ancient Authors'' is the best-known work of

John Lemprière John Lemprière (c. 1765, Jersey – 1 February 1824, London) was an English classical scholar, lexicographer, theologian, teacher and headmaster. Life John Lemprière was the son of Charles Lemprière (died 1801), of Mont au Prêtre, Jersey. ...

, an English classical scholar. Edited by various later scholars, the dictionary long remained a readable if not absolutely trustworthy reference book in

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

and

classical history Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...

. Lemprière wished "to give the most accurate and satisfactory account of all the proper names which occur in reading the Classics, and by a judicious collection of anecdotes and historical facts to draw a picture of ancient times, not less instructive than entertaining." The dictionary has been a handbook for teachers, journalists, dramatists and poets for almost 200 years and

John Keats John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tuberculo ...

is said to have known the book almost by heart. "Far from being just an ordinary dictionary, however, Lemprière's encyclopedic work is full of incidental details and stories which bring the mythical past to life." It is also assumed that the great scholar

Richard Valpy Richard Valpy (7 December 1754 – 28 March 1836) was a British schoolmaster and priest of the Church of England. Life and career Valpy was born the eldest son of Richard and Catherine Valpy in Jersey. He was sent to schools in Normandy and ...

helped Lemprière with the dictionary. Many ships of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

were named from Greek and Roman mythology during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

Lord Sandwich Earl of Sandwich is a noble title in the Peerage of England, held since its creation by the House of Montagu. It is nominally associated with Sandwich, Kent. It was created in 1660 for the prominent naval commander Admiral Sir Edward Montagu ...

, the

First Lord of the Admiralty The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...

, had a copy of this book on his desk and simply plucked a name from within. For example, HMS ''Bellerophon'', HMS ''Charon'', HMS ''Orion'', HMS ''Leander'', HMS ''Minotaur'', HMS ''Pegasus'', HMS ''Phaeton'', HMS ''Theseus'', HMS ''Venus''. In 1794 a Latin-language ''Bibliotheca Classica'' was published anonymously in

Deventer Deventer (; Sallands: ) is a city and municipality in the Salland historical region of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands. In 2020, Deventer had a population of 100,913. The city is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, bu ...

in Holland. The introduction criticised Lemprière's work, but the book itself largely consisted of a translation of Lemprière, even to the extent of incorporating errors that had been corrected in the 1792 edition.Preface to the third edition of Lemprière, February 1797.

Editions

* ''Bibliotheca Classica or Classical Dictionary'', Reading, 1788. * ''Bibliotheca Classica or a Classical Dictionary.....The Second Edition greatly enlarged'', London, for T. Cadell, 1792. * ''Bibliotheca Classica or Classical Dictionary'', 3rd Edition, London, for T Cadell ''et al'', 1797 (Later editions: 1815, 1818, 1828 - 15th edition, printed by A

drew Drew may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places ;In the United States * Drew, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Drew, Mississippi, a city * Drew, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Drew, Oregon, an unincorporated community * Drew County, Arkansas ...

& R

bert Bert or BERT may refer to: Persons, characters, or animals known as Bert *Bert (name), commonly an abbreviated forename and sometimes a surname *Bert, a character in the poem "Bert the Wombat" by The Wiggles; from their 1992 album Here Comes a Son ...

Spottiswoode, New-Street-Square, 1832, 1838, 1843, 1888). * ''Bibliotheca Classica or Classical Dictionary'', New York, 1833. * ''Bibliotheca Classica or Classical Dictionary'', W.E. Dean, New York, 1836. Revised and Corrected, and Divided, under Separate Heads, into Three Parts: Part I. Geography, Topography, etc. Part II. History, Antiquities, etc. Part III. Mythology by Lorenzo L. Da Ponte and John D. Ogilby. 10th American Edition. Greatly Enlarged in the Historical Department, by Lorenzo L. Da Ponte. * ''Bibliotheca Classica or Classical Dictionary'', 10th American Edition, W.E. Dean, New York, 1839. Greatly Enlarged in the Historical Department by Lorenzo L. Da Ponte and John D. Ogilby. * ''Lemprière's Classical Dictionary'', (Facsimile) London: Bracken Books, 1984. * ''Lemprière's Classical Dictionary'', Senate Books, 1994.

In fiction

*Lemprière, and specifically the writing of his dictionary, formed the basis for the novel ''Lemprière's Dictionary'' by

Lawrence Norfolk Lawrence Norfolk (born 1963) is a British novelist known for historical works with complex plots and intricate detail. Biography Though born in London, Norfolk lived in Iraq until 1967 and then in the West Country of England. He read English a ...

. *In ''The Gaudy'' by J.I.M. Stewart there is a character called Lemprière. The narrator is familiar with the name because of Keats' knowledge of the dictionary.

References

External links

''A Classical Dictionary''
1822 full text version of the third American edition under this alternate title. References on Greek mythology Mythology books 1788 non-fiction books Reference works in the public domain Historical dictionaries {{Greek-myth-book-stub

Editions

In fiction

See also

References

External links