Herbert Jennings Rose
FBA (5 May 1883, in
Orillia
Orillia is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is in Simcoe County between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Although it is geographically located within Simcoe County, the city is a single-tier municipality. It is part of the Huronia region of ...
– 31 July 1961, in
St Andrews
St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...
) was a Canadian-born British classical scholar, best remembered as the author of ''A Handbook of Greek Mythology'', originally published in 1928, which became for many years the standard student reference book on the subject, reaching a sixth edition by 1958. Rose's ''Handbook'' was brought up-to-date along the same framework by Robin Hard, in ''The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology'' (Routledge 2004), a project that began as a mere revision.
Early life
Rose was born in
Orillia
Orillia is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is in Simcoe County between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Although it is geographically located within Simcoe County, the city is a single-tier municipality. It is part of the Huronia region of ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada, to a family of Scottish descent. He attended
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
, where he was awarded a
Rhodes scholar
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
ship, with which he went on to
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
. He was said to be the first Oxford undergraduate to wear a soft hat on Sundays. He drew a chess game on Board 1 with the famous
J R Capablanca in a cable match between American and English universities on 23 March 1907.
For four years he was a fellow and tutor of
Exeter College. In 1911 he married Eliza Plimsoll, elder daughter of
Samuel Plimsoll
Samuel Plimsoll (10 February 1824 – 3 June 1898) was a British politician and social reformer, now best remembered for having devised the Plimsoll line (a line on a ship's hull indicating the maximum safe draught, and therefore the minimum fr ...
, the British social reformer who advocated improved
safety standards
Safety standards are standards designed to ensure the safety of products, activities and processes, etc. They may be advisory or compulsory and are normally laid down by an advisory or regulatory body that may be either voluntary or statutory. In ...
at sea.
From 1919 - 1927 Rose was Professor of Latin at the
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
, mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all
, established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'')
, former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth
, type = Public
, endowment = ...
and from 1927 - 1953 he was Professor of Greek at the
University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
. Also during this time in 1934 he became a fellow of the
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.
It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars span ...
.
Work
Rose is best remembered as the author of ''A Handbook of Greek Mythology'', 1928. This was his most successful work and is still widely used as a student reference book.
Upon his death it was written in the ''
Glasgow Herald
''The Herald'' is a Scottish broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783. ''The Herald'' is the longest running national newspaper in the world and is the eighth oldest daily paper in the world. The title was simplified from ''The Glasgow Herald'' in ...
'':
:"The Scottish Universities have lost one of their most learned personalities by the death of Emeritus Professor H. J. Rose . . . as a lecturer he was much liked by both learned and popular audiences, while as teacher and colleague he was greatly beloved by generations of pupils and colleagues".
Works
* ''Modern Methods in Classical Mythology'' (St. Andrews, 1930)
* ''A Handbook of Greek Literature from Homer to Lucian'' (1934)
* ''Hygini Fabulae'' (1934)
* ''A Handbook of Latin Literature'' (1954)
* ''Primitive Culture in Greece'' (London, 1925)
* ''Primitive Culture in Italy'' (London, 1926; reprint 1971)
* ''A Handbook of Greek Mythology'' (1929; sixth reprint 1958)
* ''Ancient Greek Religion'' (London, 1948)
* ''Ancient Roman Religion'' (London, 1949)
* ''Gods and Heroes of the Greeks'' (London, 1957; many reprints)
* ''A Commentary on the Surviving Plays of Aeschylus'', 1957–8
* ''Outline of Classical Literature for Students of English'' (London, 1959; reprint 1961)
*''Mythology and Pseudo-mythology'' (1935, ), an influential paper, printed as a Presidential Address
References
External links
*
* BAD LINK
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rose, H.J.
1883 births
1961 deaths
Academics of Aberystwyth University
Classical scholars of the University of St Andrews
Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
British classical scholars
Canadian Rhodes Scholars
Fellows of Exeter College, Oxford
McGill University alumni
People from Orillia
Classical scholars of the University of Oxford
Academics of the University of Wales
Fellows of the British Academy
Presidents of the Folklore Society