Hugh Andrew Johnstone Munro (29 October 1819 – 30 March 1885) was a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
classical scholar.
Biography
Munro was born at
Elgin, Moray,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, the illegitimate son of
Hugh Andrew Johnstone Munro of Novar by Penelope Forbes, and educated at
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury.
Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into ...
, where he was one of
Benjamin Hall Kennedy
Benjamin Hall Kennedy (6 November 1804 – 6 April 1889) was an English scholar and schoolmaster, known for his work in the teaching of the Latin language. He was an active supporter of Newnham College and Girton College as Cambridge University ...
's first pupils. He went on to
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...
, in 1838, becoming a scholar in 1840, second classic and first chancellor's medallist in 1842, and fellow of his college in 1843.
He became classical lecturer at Trinity College, and in 1869 was elected to the newly founded
chair of
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
at Cambridge, but resigned it in 1872.
The great work on which his reputation rests is his edition of
Lucretius
Titus Lucretius Carus ( , ; – ) was a Roman poet and philosopher. His only known work is the philosophical poem ''De rerum natura'', a didactic work about the tenets and philosophy of Epicureanism, and which usually is translated into En ...
, the fruit of many years' efforts (text only, 1 vol., 1860; text, commentary and translation, 2 vols, 1864). As a textual critic his knowledge was profound and his judgment unrivalled; and he studied
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...
, being a frequent traveller in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
and
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
. In 1867 he published an improved text of ''
Aetna
Aetna Inc. () is an American managed health care company that sells traditional and consumer directed health care insurance and related services, such as medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, long-term care, and disability plans, ...
'' with commentary, and in the following year a text of
Horace with critical introduction, illustrated by specimens of ancient gems selected by
Charles William King
Charles William King (5 September 1818 – 25 March 1888) was a British Victorian writer and collector of gems.
Early life
King was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, and entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1836. He graduated in 1840, and ob ...
. His knowledge and taste are nowhere better shown than in his ''Criticisms and Elucidations'' of
Catullus
Gaius Valerius Catullus (; 84 - 54 BCE), often referred to simply as Catullus (, ), was a Latin poet of the late Roman Republic who wrote chiefly in the neoteric style of poetry, focusing on personal life rather than classical heroes. His ...
(1878). He was a master of the art of
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
and Latin verse composition. His contributions to the famous volume of Shrewsbury verse, ''Sabrinae corolla'', are among the most remarkable of the collection. He communicated with
Thomas Saunders Evans
Thomas Saunders Evans was an eminent British scholar of and translator into Latin and Ancient Greek.preface of ''Latin and Greek verse'', by Thomas Saunders Evans, ed. Joseph Waite, Cambridge University Press, 1893, anonline .pdf here Waite collec ...
.
His ''Translations into Latin and Greek Verse'' were privately printed in 1884. Like his translations into English, these are characterized by minute fidelity to the original, but never cease to be idiomatic. He died while visiting
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
.
A ''Memoir'' by J. D. Duff was prefixed to a re-issue of the translation of Lucretius in "Bohn's Classical Library" (1908).
References
*
External links
Lucretius ''On the Nature of Things''at the
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
*
*
*
Manuscripts relating to Hugh Andrew Johnstone Munroat Trinity College, Cambridge
{{DEFAULTSORT:Munro, Hugh Andrew Johnstone
1819 births
1885 deaths
People from Elgin, Moray
Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge
Scottish classical scholars
People educated at Shrewsbury School
Scholars of Latin literature
Burials in the Protestant Cemetery, Rome
British Latinists
Hellenists
Translators to Latin
Translators to Greek
19th-century translators
Kennedy Professors of Latin
19th-century Latin-language writers