Eve Adler
Encyclopedia
Eve Adler was an American classicist who taught at Middlebury College
for 25 years until her death in 2004. Adler was a graduate
of Queens College with a B.A. in Hebrew, of Brandeis University
with a M.A. in Mediterranean Studies and of Cornell University
, where she got her doctorate in Classics. She was widely regarded as one of the most gifted teachers in Middlebury's history.
, particularly Homer
and Vergil, as well as classical understanding of liberal education
. Prior to her death, she published her monumental and authoritative work called "Vergil's Empire: Political Thought in the Aeneid" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003). In this book, Adler rejects centuries of scholarship on Vergil, which believes that he was merely a clever imitator of Homer, and argues that Vergil had a unique view of the human condition and ambitions as great, if not greater, than his Greek predecessor as far as his work's influence on humanity is concerned. As the Weekly Standard wrote in its review of the book, according to Adler, "something of a secret teaching may be glimpsed behind the imperial screen ... [Secret teaching of] views on universal empire [that have] urgency not only for literary studies but for our reflections on empire in the current global situation." In addition to her book on Vergil, Adler had written an earlier work on Catullan Self Revelation and numerous scholarly articles on other classical authors.
Adler was also an important scholar of political philosophy
in general, and extensively studied the political thought and approach to Scholarly method
advocated by Leo Strauss
, and was widely regarded as one of the leading Straussians even though she had never studied with him. She was the translator from German of Strauss's "Philosophy and Law: Contributions to the Understanding of Maimonides and His Predecessors" (Albany: SUNY Press, 1995). Her introduction to that work is one of the most authoritative interpretation of Strauss's work on Maimonides
.
In the 1990s, Adler developed an interest in Russian thought and literature. She not only taught herself Russian language
, but also co-authored, with Vladimir Shlyakhov, "A Dictionary of Russian Slang and Colloquial Expressions" (Barrons, 1995). She also translated Mikhail Epstein's
"Cries in the New Wilderness" from Russian. She spent the last years of her life preparing a Russian translation of Strauss' Natural Right and History. This translation was published after her death in Russia (Moscow: Vodoley Publishers, 2007, see lstrauss.ru).
Adler taught Greek
, Latin
, and Hebrew at Middlebury College
, and also knew German, Russian, Arabic, and Italian.
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
for 25 years until her death in 2004. Adler was a graduate
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
of Queens College with a B.A. in Hebrew, of Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
with a M.A. in Mediterranean Studies and of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where she got her doctorate in Classics. She was widely regarded as one of the most gifted teachers in Middlebury's history.
Life and career
Adler primarily specialized in ancient epic poetryEpic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
, particularly Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
and Vergil, as well as classical understanding of liberal education
Liberal education
A Liberal education is a system or course of education suitable for the cultivation of a free human being. It is based on the medieval concept of the liberal arts or, more commonly now, the liberalism of the Age of Enlightenment...
. Prior to her death, she published her monumental and authoritative work called "Vergil's Empire: Political Thought in the Aeneid" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003). In this book, Adler rejects centuries of scholarship on Vergil, which believes that he was merely a clever imitator of Homer, and argues that Vergil had a unique view of the human condition and ambitions as great, if not greater, than his Greek predecessor as far as his work's influence on humanity is concerned. As the Weekly Standard wrote in its review of the book, according to Adler, "something of a secret teaching may be glimpsed behind the imperial screen ... [Secret teaching of] views on universal empire [that have] urgency not only for literary studies but for our reflections on empire in the current global situation." In addition to her book on Vergil, Adler had written an earlier work on Catullan Self Revelation and numerous scholarly articles on other classical authors.
Adler was also an important scholar of political philosophy
Political philosophy
Political philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
in general, and extensively studied the political thought and approach to Scholarly method
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
advocated by Leo Strauss
Leo Strauss
Leo Strauss was a political philosopher and classicist who specialized in classical political philosophy. He was born in Germany to Jewish parents and later emigrated to the United States...
, and was widely regarded as one of the leading Straussians even though she had never studied with him. She was the translator from German of Strauss's "Philosophy and Law: Contributions to the Understanding of Maimonides and His Predecessors" (Albany: SUNY Press, 1995). Her introduction to that work is one of the most authoritative interpretation of Strauss's work on Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
.
In the 1990s, Adler developed an interest in Russian thought and literature. She not only taught herself Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, but also co-authored, with Vladimir Shlyakhov, "A Dictionary of Russian Slang and Colloquial Expressions" (Barrons, 1995). She also translated Mikhail Epstein's
Mikhail Epstein
Mikhail Naumovich Epstein is an American literary theorist and critical thinker. He is Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Cultural Theory and Russian Literature at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia...
"Cries in the New Wilderness" from Russian. She spent the last years of her life preparing a Russian translation of Strauss' Natural Right and History. This translation was published after her death in Russia (Moscow: Vodoley Publishers, 2007, see lstrauss.ru).
Adler taught Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, and Hebrew at Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
, and also knew German, Russian, Arabic, and Italian.