Martin Litchfield West
Martin Litchfield West | |
---|---|
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Born | |
Died | 13 July 2015 Oxford,England | (aged 77)
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | Balliol College,Oxford |
Occupation(s) | Professor, academic and author |
Known for | Classics scholar |
Honours | OM |
Martin Litchfield West,OMFBA(23 September 1937 – 13 July 2015) was a Britishphilologistandclassical scholar.[1]In recognition of his contribution to scholarship, he was awarded theOrder of Meritin 2014.[2]
West wrote onancient Greek music,Greek tragedy,Greek lyric poetry,the relations between Greece and theancient Near East,and the connection betweenshamanismand earlyancient Greek religion,including theOrphictradition. This work stems from material inAkkadian,Phoenician,Hebrew,Hittite,andUgaritic,as well as Greek and Latin. West also studied the reconstitution ofIndo-European mythologyand poetry and its influence onAncient Greece,notably in the 2007 bookIndo-European Poetry and Myth(IEPM).
West also produced an edition ofHomer'sIliadfor theBibliotheca Teubneriana,accompanied by a study of its critical tradition and overall philology entitledStudies in the Text and Transmission of the Iliad.A further volume onThe Making of the Iliadappeared ten years later, and one onThe Making of the Odysseywas published in 2014.
Life and career[edit]
Early life and education[edit]
Martin Litchfield West was born on 23 September 1937 at Eltham General Hospital (Eltham,London), the elder child (there being a younger daughter) of civil engineer Maurice Charles West and Catherine Baker,néeStainthorpe. His parents lived at that time inOrpington,but moved in 1939 toHampton,where his father was appointed resident engineer at theMetropolitan Water Board-operatedwaterworks.[3]West's father's family were from theHome Counties,and his mother's family fromYorkshireandDurham.His paternal grandfather, Robert West, lectured in electrical engineering; his maternal grandfather, John Stainthorpe, was a railwayman fromPickering.Litchfield was themaiden nameof his paternal grandmother.[3][4]
Aged four, West entered the private preparatory school ofDenmead.At 11, he lost a scholarship at Colet Court (nowSt Paul's Juniors), but was offered a feepaying place instead. West discovered at Colet his interest in languages and invented at 14 a competitor ofEsperantohe labelled 'Unilingua'.[5]In 1951, he won a scholarship to the main school,St Paul's.Excelling at both linguistics and mathematics, he was advanced to the 'Upper Eighth' and sat for a scholarship toBalliol Collegea year early. His tutors includedDonald Russell,Michael StokesandRussell Meiggs.Among his peers were futureNobel PrizewinnerAnthony J. Leggett,and futurePermanent SecretaryPeter Gregson.[6]
Career[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Martin_Litchfield_West_in_1996.jpg/197px-Martin_Litchfield_West_in_1996.jpg)
West married fellow scholarStephanie Pickardin 1960 atNottingham,after meeting her at a lecture given byEduard FraenkelatCorpus Christi College,Oxford,[2][7][8]whose seminars he attended. He became a junior research fellow atSt John's Collegefrom 1960 to 1963. His doctoral thesis, a commentary onHesiod'sTheogony,won theConington Prizefor the best classical dissertation of the year in 1965, and was edited as a printed book the following year.[9]
From the mid-sixties, West took especial interest in the relation of Greek literature to the Orient, and over several decades, culminating in his masterpieceThe East Face of Helicon(1997), defended his view that Greek literature derives significant influences and inspiration from Near Eastern literature. He took up a position as tutorial fellow at University College, a position he filled from 1963 to 1974. In 1973 he became the second youngest person to be elected a Fellow of theBritish Academy,at the age of 35. He obtained a chair atRoyal Holloway and Bedford New College,which he held from 1974 until 1991, when he became a fellow ofAll Souls College.[10][11]West retired formally in 2004, but remained active in All Souls until the end of his life.[12]
Death[edit]
West died of a heart attack in 2015 in Oxford at the age of 77.[2][13]Fellow Oxford academicArmand D'Angourpaid tribute to him as "a man of few words in seven languages."[14]
Works[edit]
West edited and commentedHesiod'sTheogonyandWorks and Days.In 1967, he published with Reinhold MerkelbachFragmenta Hesiodea,an edition containing other fragmentary poems attributed to Hesiod. He also edited a book on the fragments of the HesiodicCatalogue of Women.[12]West editedHomer'sIliadandOdysseyfor theBibliotheca Teubneriana,and theHomeric Hymnsfor theLoeb Classical Library.[15]
Awards and honours[edit]
- 2000:Balzan Prizefor Classical Antiquity[4]
- 2002:Kenyon Medal for Classical Studiesfrom the British Academy[16]
- 2007: A book of essays on ancient Greek literature written for West on his 70th birthday[17]
West was aDPhilandDLittofOxford University,and was elected aFellowof theBritish Academy,a Corresponding Member of the Akademie der Wissenschaften, Göttingen, and a Member of theAcademia Europaea,London. HM The Queen appointed him aMember of the Order of Merit(OM) in the 2014 New Year Honours.[2][18]
Academic teaching and research history[edit]
- Emeritus Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford (since 2004)
- Senior Research Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford (1991–2004)
- Professor of Greek,University of London(Bedford College,laterRoyal Hollowayand Bedford New College) (1974–91)
- Fellow and Praelector in Classics,University College, Oxford(1963–74)
- Jr. Woodhouse Research Fellow,St. John's College,Oxford (1960–63)
Selected bibliography[edit]
Monographs[edit]
- Early Greek Philosophy and the Orient,Oxford:Clarendon Press1971, xv + 256 pp.; translation into Italian, Bologna 1993
- Textual Criticism and Editorial Technique Applicable to Greek and Latin Texts(Teubner Studienbücher), Stuttgart:B.G. Teubner1973, 155 pp.; translation into Greek, Athens 1989; translation into Italian, Palermo 1991; translation into Hungarian, Budapest 1999
- Studies in Greek Elegy and Iambus(Untersuchungen zur antiken Literatur und Geschichte 14), Berlin, New York:Walter de Gruyter1974, ix + 198 pp.ISBN978-3-110-04585-7.
- Immortal Helen: an inaugural lecture delivered on 30 April 1975,London: Bedford College 1975, 18 pp.ISBN0-900145-30-7
- Greek Metre,Oxford 1982, xiv + 208 pp.ISBN0-19-814018-5
- The Orphic Poems,Oxford: Clarendon Press 1983, xii + 275 pp.ISBN0-19-814854-2;translation into Italian, Naples 1993;
- The Hesiodic Catalogue of Women: Its Nature, Structure, and Origins,Oxford: Clarendon Press 1985, viii + 193 pp.ISBN0-19-814034-7
- Introduction to Greek Metre,Oxford: Clarendon Press 1987, xi + 90 pp.ISBN0-19-872132-3
- Studies in Aeschylus(Beiträge zur Altertumskunde 1), Stuttgart: B.G. Teubner 1990, x + 406 pp.ISBN3-519-07450-8
- Ancient Greek Music,Oxford: Clarendon Press 1992, xiii + 410 ppISBN0-19-814897-6;translation into Greek, Athens 1999
- Die griechische Dichterin: Bild und Rolle(Lectio Teubneriana v), Stuttgart & Leipzig: B.G. Teubner 1996, 48 pp.ISBN3-519-07554-7
- The East Face of Helicon: West Asiatic Elements in Greek Poetry and Myth,Oxford: Clarendon Press 1997, xxvi + 662 pp.ISBN0-19-815042-3
- Studies in the text and transmission of the Iliad.München:K.G. Saur2001 304 pp.ISBN3-598-73005-5
- Indo-European Poetry and Myth.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007 480 pp.ISBN978-0-19-928075-9
- The Making of the Iliad: Disquisition and Analytical Commentary.Oxford: Oxford University Press 2011 441 pp.ISBN978-0-199-59007-0
- The Making of the 'Odyssey',Oxford University Press 2014.ISBN978-0-198-71836-9
Editions, commentaries and translations[edit]
- Hesiod,Theogony,ed. withprolegomenaand commentary by M. L. West, Oxford: Clarendon Press 1966, xiii + 459 pp.ISBN0-19-814169-6.
- Fragmenta Hesiodea,ed.: R. Merkelbach et M. L. West, Oxford: Clarendon Press 1967, 236 pp.
- Iambi et elegi Graeci ante Alexandrum cantati. 1:Archilochus.Hipponax.Theognidea,ed. M. L. West, Oxford: Clarendon Press 1971, revised edition 1989, xvi + 256
- Iambi et elegi Graeci ante Alexandrum cantati. 2:Callinus.Mimnermus.Semonides.Solon.Tyrtaeus.Minora adespota,ed. M. L. West, Oxford: Clarendon Press 1972, revised edition 1992 x + 246 pp.
- Sing me, goddess. Being the first recitation of Homer's Iliad,translated by Martin West, London:Duckworth1971, 43 pp.ISBN0-7156-0595-X
- TheognidisetPhocylidisfragmenta et adespota quaedam gnomica,ed. M. L. West (Kleine Texte für Vorlesungen und Übungen 192), Berlin: Walter de Gruyter 1978, iv + 49 pp.
- Hesiod,Works and Days,ed. with prolegomena and commentary by M.L. West, Oxford: Clarendon Press 1978, xiii + 399 pp.
- Delectus ex Iambis et Elegis Graecis,ed. M. L. West, Oxford: Clarendon Press 1980, ix + 295 pp.ISBN0-19-814589-6
- Carmina Anacreontea,edidit Martin L. West (Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana), Leipzig: Teubner 1984, xxvi + 64 pp.; corrected reprint with one page of Addenda, 1993ISBN3-8154-1025-8
- Euripides,Orestes,ed. with transl. and commentary by M. L. West, Warminster: Aris & Phillips 1987, ix + 297 pp.ISBN0-85668-310-8
- Hesiod,Theogony, and Works and Days,transl. and with an introduction by M. L. West, Oxford: Oxford University Press 1988, xxv + 79 pp.ISBN0-19-281788-4
- AeschyliTragoediae cum incerti poetaePrometheo,recensuit Martin L. West (Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana), Stuttgart: B.G. Teubner 1990, lxxxv + 508 pp.ISBN3-519-01013-5
- Greek Lyric Poetry. The poems and fragments of the Greek iambic, elegiac, and melic poets (excludingPindarandBacchylides) down to 450 B.C.,[verse translation] Oxford: Oxford university Press 1993, xxv + 213 pp.ISBN0-19-282360-4
- HomeriIlias. Volumen prius rhapsodias I-XII continens,recensuit Martin L. West (Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana), Stuttgart & Leipzig: B.G. Teubner 1998, lxii + 372 pp.ISBN3-519-01431-9
- HomeriIlias. Volumen alterum rhapsodias XIII-XXIV continens,recensuit Martin L. West (Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana), K. G. Saur: Leipzig & Munich 2000, vii + 396 pp.
- Homeric Hymns,Homeric Apocrypha, Lives of Homer,edited and translated by Martin L. West. (TheLoeb Classical Library496) Cambridge, Massachusetts:Harvard University Press2003ISBN0-674-99606-2
- Greek Epic Fragments from the Seventh to the Fifth Centuries BC,edited and translated by Martin L. West (TheLoeb Classical Library497). London Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press 2003ISBN0-674-99605-4
- Barrett, W. S.,Greek Lyric, Tragedy, and Textual Criticism: Collected Papers,ed. M. L. West (Oxford & New York, 2007): papers dealing withStesichorus,Pindar,BacchylidesandEuripides[19]
- The Hymns of Zoroaster: A New Translation of the Most Ancient Sacred Texts of Iran,Leiden, 2010.
- Homerus,Odyssea,ed. M. L. West, (Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana), De Gruyter: Berlin 2017 (posthumous)
Articles[edit]
His works also include contributions to dictionaries and books and more than 200 articles and papers since 1960.
- West, M. L. (1961). "Hesiodea".The Classical Quarterly.11(2): 130–145.doi:10.1017/S0009838800015469.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR637705.S2CID246875859.
- West, M. L. (1964). "Two Versions of 'Jabberwocky'".Greece & Rome.11(2): 185–187.doi:10.1017/S0017383500014236.ISSN0017-3835.JSTOR642244.S2CID162986660.
- West, M. L. (1964). "The Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts of Hesiod's Theogony".The Classical Quarterly.14(2): 165–189.doi:10.1017/S0009838800023739.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR637722.S2CID171014323.
- West, Martin L. (1966). "Conjectures on 46 Greek Poets".Philologus.110(1–2): 147–168.doi:10.1524/phil.1966.110.12.147.ISSN0031-7985.S2CID164267981.
- West, M. L. (1967). "The Contest of Homer and Hesiod".The Classical Quarterly.17(2): 433–450.doi:10.1017/S0009838800028548.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR638018.S2CID170296593.
- West, Martin L. (1968). "Lidell and Scott".Gnomon.40(2): 224.ISSN0017-1417.JSTOR27684419.
- West, M. L. (1968). "Notes on the Orphic Hymns".The Classical Quarterly.18(2): 288–296.doi:10.1017/S0009838800022126.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR638072.S2CID170274576.
- West, M. L. (1969). "Near Eastern Material in Hellenistic and Roman Literature".Harvard Studies in Classical Philology.73:113–134.doi:10.2307/311152.ISSN0073-0688.JSTOR311152.
- West, M. L. (1970). "Note: Hesiod, Fragmenta, Again".The Classical Review.20(3): 416.doi:10.1017/S0009840X00227972.ISSN0009-840X.JSTOR706397.S2CID220338675.
- West, M. L. (1971). "Note on a Note".The Journal of Hellenic Studies.91:143.doi:10.2307/631383.ISSN0075-4269.JSTOR631383.S2CID161692272.
- West, M. L. (1971). "Stesichorus".The Classical Quarterly.21(2): 302–314.doi:10.1017/S0009838800033450.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR637783.S2CID246878823.
- West, M. L. (1971). "The Cosmology of 'Hippocrates', De Hebdomadibus".The Classical Quarterly.21(2): 365–388.doi:10.1017/S0009838800033504.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR637788.PMID11620550.S2CID536245.
- West, M. L. (1973). "Indo-European Metre".Glotta.51(3/4): 161–187.ISSN0017-1298.JSTOR40266268.
- West, M. L. (1973). "Greek Poetry 2000-700 B. C.".The Classical Quarterly.23(2): 179–192.doi:10.1017/S0009838800036648.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR638170.S2CID170581047.
- West, M. L. (1974). "The Medieval Manuscripts of the Works and Days".The Classical Quarterly.24(2): 161–185.doi:10.1017/S0009838800032717.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR638479.S2CID170161908.
- West, M. L. (1978). "Stesichorus at Lille".Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik.29:1–4.ISSN0084-5388.JSTOR20181538.
- West, M. L. (1979). "Four Hellenistic First Lines Restored".The Classical Quarterly.29(2): 324–326.doi:10.1017/S0009838800035953.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR638099.S2CID170219390.
- West, M. L. (1979). "The Prometheus Trilogy".The Journal of Hellenic Studies.99:130–148.doi:10.2307/630637.ISSN0075-4269.JSTOR630637.S2CID161700684.
- West, M. L. (1982). "Three Topics in Greek Metre".The Classical Quarterly.32(2): 281–297.doi:10.1017/S0009838800026458.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR638567.S2CID170738420.
- West, M. L. (1984). "Problems in the Anacreontea".The Classical Quarterly.34(1): 206–221.doi:10.1017/S000983880002944X.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR638350.S2CID170444118.
- West, M. L. (1985). "Hesiod's Titans".The Journal of Hellenic Studies.105:174–175.doi:10.2307/631535.ISSN0075-4269.JSTOR631535.S2CID164115755.
- West, M. L. (1988). "The Rise of the Greek Epic".The Journal of Hellenic Studies.108:151–172.doi:10.2307/632637.ISSN0075-4269.JSTOR632637.S2CID162976726.
- West, M. L. (1990). "Notes on Sappho and Alcaeus".Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik.80:1–8.ISSN0084-5388.JSTOR20187195.
- West, M. L. (1992). "Analecta Musica".Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik.92:1–54.ISSN0084-5388.JSTOR20188688.
- West, M. L. (1993). "Simonides Redivivus".Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik.98:1–14.ISSN0084-5388.JSTOR20188914.
- West, M. L. (1994). "Some Oriental Motifs in Archilochus".Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik.102:1–5.ISSN0084-5388.JSTOR20189117.
- West, M. L. (1994). "The Babylonian Musical Notation and the Hurrian Melodic Texts".Music & Letters.75(2): 161–179.doi:10.1093/ml/75.2.161.ISSN0027-4224.JSTOR737674.
- West, M. L. (1994). "Ab ovo: Orpheus, Sanchuniathon, and the Origins of the Ionian World Model".The Classical Quarterly.44(2): 289–307.doi:10.1017/S0009838800043767.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR639634.S2CID246879701.
- West, Martin L. (1995). "The Date of the" Iliad "".Museum Helveticum.52(4): 203–219.ISSN0027-4054.JSTOR24819564.
- West, M. L. (1997)."Akkadian poetry: metre and performance".IRAQ.59:175–187.doi:10.1017/S0021088900003405.ISSN0021-0889.
- West, M. L. (1999). "The Invention of Homer".The Classical Quarterly.49(2): 364–382.doi:10.1093/cq/49.2.364.ISSN0009-8388.JSTOR639863.
- West, Martin L. (2000). "The Name of Aphrodite".Glotta.76(1/2): 134–138.ISSN0017-1298.JSTOR40267103.
- West, Martin L. (2001). "Some Homeric Words".Glotta.77(1/2): 118–135.ISSN0017-1298.JSTOR40262722.
- West, Martin L. (2010). "Rhapsodes at Festivals".Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik.173:1–13.ISSN0084-5388.JSTOR20756824.
- West, Martin L. (2014). "Nine Poems of Sappho".Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik.191:1–12.ISSN0084-5388.JSTOR43909573.
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^Fowler 2018,p.116:"He identifies himself as a literary historian and philologist."
- ^abcdFowler 2018,p.119.
- ^abFowler 2018,p.92.
- ^abLightfoot 2019.
- ^Fowler 2018,p.93.
- ^Fowler 2018,p.94.
- ^"Obituary: Dr Martin West – Classical scholar 'in a class of his own'",Oxford Mail16 July 2015.
- ^Gregory Hutchinson,"Martin West: Prolific scholar whose books shed new light on the archaic and early-classical periods of Greek literature",The Independent,3 August 2015
- ^Fowler 2018,p.98.
- ^Lightfoot 2015.
- ^The Telegraph 2015.
- ^abFowler 2018,p.99.
- ^"Professor Martin West",Balliol College, 14 July 2015
- ^"In memoriam Martin West"
- ^Fowler 2018,p.100.
- ^British Academy: Medals and Prizes (Kenyon Medal)
- ^Finglass, Collard & Richardson 2007;reviewed byGibert 2008.
- ^"No. 60728".The London Gazette(Supplement). 31 December 2013. p. 2.
- ^Table of contents for Greek lyric, tragedy, and textual criticism: collected papers / W. S. Barrett; assembled and edited by M. L. Westat catdir.loc.gov, accessed 15 August 2008
Bibliography[edit]
- Fowler, Robert(2018)."Martin Litchfield West"(PDF).Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the British Academy.XVII:89–120.
- Gibert, John (23 June 2008). "Review ofFinglass, Collard & Richardson 2007".Bryn Mawr Classical Review.2008.06.23.
- Lightfoot, Jane L.(13 August 2015)."Martin West obituary".The Guardian.
- Lightfoot, Jane. L. (2019). "West, Martin Litchfield (1937–2015), Greek scholar, textual critic, and philologist".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.109926.ISBN978-0-19861-412-8.
- Finglass, P. J.; Collard, C.; Richardson, N. J., eds. (2007).Hesperos: Studies in Ancient Greek Poetry.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-928568-6.
- Staff (21 July 2015)."Professor Martin West, OM".The Telegraph.
Further reading[edit]
- "Biographical Entry: Dr. Martin Litchfield West",Debrett's People of Today,Debrett'sLimited, 18–20 Hill Rise, Richmond, Surrey TW10 6UA United Kingdom
External links[edit]
- M.L. West's page at All Souls College, Oxford(archived 2015)
- "M.L. West's page at the Balzan Foundation Prize".Archived fromthe originalon 12 December 2007.Retrieved31 October2007.
- "M.L. West's page at the British Academy's Kenyon Medal award".Archived fromthe originalon 5 October 2007.Retrieved11 June2006.
- 1937 births
- 2015 deaths
- Academics of Bedford College, London
- British classical scholars
- Fellows of All Souls College, Oxford
- Fellows of St John's College, Oxford
- Fellows of the British Academy
- Fellows of University College, Oxford
- Linguists of Indo-European languages
- Members of Academia Europaea
- Members of the Order of Merit
- People from Hampton, London
- Classical scholars of the University of London
- Classical scholars of the University of Oxford
- Scholars of ancient Greek literature
- Academics of Royal Holloway, University of London
- Translators of Homer
- Homeric scholars
- Indo-Europeanists