Robert Burn (22 October 1829 – 30 April 1904) was an English

classical scholar Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

and archaeologist and Fellow of

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. ...

Biography

Burn was born at

Kynnersley Kynnersley is a village in Shropshire, England. Kynnersley lies in the borough of Telford and Wrekin, in a remote, rural location north of Telford. The village has a population of approximately 180 based on the 2001 census and taking into accoun ...

, Shropshire, on 22 October 1829, was second son of Andrew Burn, rector of Kynnersley, by his second wife. He was 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 ...

under

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 ...

in 1843 and

, in 1849. Burn had remarkable skill in the writing of Latin hexameter verse. He was senior classic in 1852, and took a second class in natural science in 1853. He was elected a fellow of Trinity in 1854, and spent the rest of his life at Cambridge. He was ordained deacon in 1860 and priest in 1862. For many years he lectured on classical subjects; from 1862 to 1872 he was a tutor of Trinity, and discharged the duties of that office with conspicuous success. He vacated his fellowship on his marriage in 1873, but was re-elected next year, and was also appointed praelector in Roman archaeology. Burn chaired the committee that produced the so-called " Cambridge rules" of football in 1863. Burn, who frequently visited Rome and its neighbourhood during his vacations, was one of the first Englishmen to study the archaeology of the city and the Campagna. He received an honorary degree from

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in 1883. He was a distinguished athlete in his youth and a good tennis player up to middle age; but for the last twenty years of his life, though his intellectual interests were unabated, he was an invalid confined to a bath-chair. He died on 30 April 1904 aged 74 and was buried in the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge. There is a brass to his memory in the ante-chapel of Trinity College.

Family

Burn married in 1873 Augusta Sophia Prescott (a descendant of Oliver Cromwell). They had no children.

Works

Burn published several important works dealing with archaeology in Rome and the Campagna: # ''Rome and the Campagna'', Cambridge and London, 1874

871 __NOTOC__ Year 871 ( DCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * The English retreat onto the Berkshire Downs. The Great Heathen Army, led by the ...

# ''Old Rome'', an epitome of the former work, 1880 # ''Roman Literature in Relation to Roman Art'', 1888 # ''Ancient Rome and its Neighbourhood'', 1895

Notes

References

* Attribution *

External links