Richard Chandler (1737 – 9 February 1810) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

antiquary.

Education

Chandler was born in Elson,

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

. He was educated at Winchester and at

Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...

, and Magdalen College, Oxford.W. W. Wroth
‘Chandler, Richard (bap. 1737, d. 1810)’
rev. R. D. E. Eagles, ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006, accessed 28 Dec 2008Some of his correspondence is in the Magdalen archives.

Early work

His first work consisted of fragments from the minor Greek poets, with notes (''Elegiaca Graeca'', 1759); and in 1763 he published a fine edition of the inscriptions among the Arundel marbles, ''Marmora Oxoniensia'', with a Latin translation, and a number of suggestions for supplying the lacunae.

Antiquarian work

In 1764 he was introduced by

Robert Wood Robert Wood may refer to: Art * Robert E. Wood (painter, born 1971), Canadian landscape artist * Robert William Wood (1889–1979), American landscape artist * Robert Wood (artist), accused and acquitted of the Camden Town murder Military * R ...

, who had produced the ''Ruins of Palmyra'' to the

Society of Dilettanti The Society of Dilettanti (founded 1734) is a British society of noblemen and scholars that sponsors the study of ancient Greek and Roman art, and the creation of new work in the style. History Though the exact date is unknown, the Society is b ...

and sent by them, accompanied by

Nicholas Revett Nicholas Revett (1720–1804) was a British architect. Revett is best known for his work with James "Athenian" Stuart documenting the ruins of ancient Athens. He is sometimes described as an amateur architect, but he played an important role in t ...

, an architect, and William Pars, a painter, to explore the antiquities of Ionia 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 ...

(1764-1766). The Society's brief, drawn up 17 May 1764 was that the travelers make

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...

their headquarters, and from there "..to make excursions to the several remains of antiquity in that neighborhood; to make exact plans and measurements, to make accurate drawings of the bas-reliefs and ornaments..copying all the inscriptions you shall meet with, and keeping minute diaries." Having explored numerous sites in Anatolia and Ionian Islands, they continued to Athens, where they purchased fragments of sculpture from the

Parthenon The Parthenon (; grc, Παρθενών, , ; ell, Παρθενώνας, , ) is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the goddess Athena during the fifth century BC. Its decorative sculptures are considere ...

: "We purchased two fine fragments of the frieze which we found inserted over the doorways in the town, and were presented with a beautiful trunk which had fallen from the metopes, and lay neglected in the garden of a Turk". The result of their labours were the ''Ionian Antiquities'' in two magnificent folios published by the Dilettanti in 1769, and, later, Chandler's record of the tour, ''Travels in Greece, or an Account of a Tour Made at the Expense of the Society Of Dillettanti'' (1776).

Later life

He subsequently held several church preferments, including the rectory of Tylehurst, in Berkshire, where he died in 1810. Other works by Chandler were ''Inscriptiones Antiquae pleraeque nondum editae'' (Oxford, 1774); ''Travels in Asia Minor'' (1775); ''Travels in Greece'' (1776); ''History of Ilium'' (1803), in which he asserted the accuracy of

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

's geography. His ''Life of Bishop Waynflete'', Lord High Chancellor to Henry VI, appeared in 1811. A complete edition (with notes by

) of the ''Travels in Asia Minor and Greece'' was published by Ralph Churton (Oxford, 1825), with an Account of the Author.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler, Richard 1737 births 1810 deaths People from Gosport People educated at Winchester College Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford English antiquarians English travel writers 18th-century English Anglican priests