Porson, Richard

▪ English scholar

born Dec. 25, 1759, East Ruston, Norfolk, Eng.

died Sept. 25, 1808, London

      British master of classical scholarship during the 18th century, the most brilliant of the English school that devoted itself to the task of freeing Greek texts from corruption introduced through the centuries. His special critical talent lay in his insight into Greek metre and his unusual appreciation of the fine points of Greek diction.

      Porson began his serious critical studies at Trinity College, Cambridge, which he attended from 1778 to 1785, and was appointed professor of Greek there in 1792. His edition of the plays of Aeschylus was printed in Glasgow the same year. He later edited four plays of Euripides: Hecuba (1797; reprinted with a famous critical supplement in 1802), Orestes (1798), Phoenissae (1799), and Medea (1801). Porson drank to excess, was addicted to late hours, took no care of his health and appearance, and could be rude and boorish in company; however, his friends delighted in his wit and learning and his store of anecdotes and quotations and admired him for his devotion to truth, his indifference to worldly success, and his readiness to communicate knowledge. His work is marked by a sureness of touch and economy of expression that give the impression of effortlessness and conceal the hard work that lay behind it.

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