Samson Eitrem (28 December 1872 – 8 July 1966) was a Norwegian

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

, an expert in ancient literature, religion and magic.

Personal life

Eitrem was born in

Kragerø Kragerø () is a List of cities in Norway, town and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold og Telemark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional regions of Grenland and the smaller Vestmar. ...

to Samson Eitrem (1832–1923) and Anine Marie Nielsen, and he was a brother of . In 1910 he married Wilhelmina Galtung.

Career

Eitrem passed examen artium in 1890 at the

Bergen Cathedral School Bergen Cathedral School (Norwegian: ''Bergen Katedralskole'', Latin: ''Schola Cathedralis Bergensis'', formerly known as Bergens lærdeskole and Bergen latinskole and colloquially known as Katten) is an upper secondary school in Bergen, Norway. Loc ...

, and started studying

philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and writing, written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defin ...

. He graduated from the University in Kristiania in 1896, and continued with further studies in Germany, Italy, Great Britain and Greece, graduating as Ph.D. in 1903. He was appointed professor in

classical philology 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 ...

at the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

from 1914 to 1945. His scientific works include ''Opferritus und Voropfer der Griechen und Römer'' from 1915, ''Papyri Osloenses'' (three volumes, 1926–1936, in collaboration with

Leiv Amundsen Leiv Amundsen (30 May 1898 – 25 June 1987) was a Norwegian librarian and philologist. He was born in Tjøme as a son of sailmaker Carl Amundsen (1851–1916) and Henrikke Elise Andersen (1857–1923). He attended upper secondary school in Dramme ...

), and ''Some notes on the demonology in the New Testament'' from 1950. He was a co-founder (in 1924) of the scientific journal ', along with Gunnar Rudberg. Eitrem was given honorary doctorates at the University of Athens and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He died in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

in 1966. He was elected a foreign member of the

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences ( nl, Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, abbreviated: KNAW) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands. The academy is housed ...

in 1946.

References

1872 births 1966 deaths People from Kragerø Classical philologists Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Norwegian philologists University of Oslo alumni Academic staff of the University of Oslo {{Norway-academic-bio-stub