Geoffrey Kirk
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Stephen Kirk DSC
, FBA (3 December 1921 – 10 March 2003) was a British classical scholar, known for his books on Ancient Greek literature and mythology.
and Clare College, Cambridge
. His time at Cambridge was interrupted by service in the Royal Navy
, much of it in the Aegean Sea
, leading to the award of a DSC
. He returned and graduated in 1946.
He was awarded a research fellowship at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
, later becoming a lecturer
and Reader
at Cambridge. He became the 35th Regius Professor of Greek
there in 1974, retiring in 1982.
He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1959 and served as its vice-president in 1972-3.
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
, FBA (3 December 1921 – 10 March 2003) was a British classical scholar, known for his books on Ancient Greek literature and mythology.
Life
Kirk was educated at Rossall SchoolRossall School
Rossall School is a British, co-educational, independent school, between Cleveleys and Fleetwood, Lancashire. Rossall was founded in 1844 by St. Vincent Beechey as a sister school to Marlborough College which had been founded the previous year...
and Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
. His time at Cambridge was interrupted by service in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, much of it in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, leading to the award of a DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
. He returned and graduated in 1946.
He was awarded a research fellowship at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
, later becoming a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
and Reader
Reader (academic rank)
The title of Reader in the United Kingdom and some universities in the Commonwealth nations like Australia and New Zealand denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship...
at Cambridge. He became the 35th Regius Professor of Greek
Regius Professor of Greek (Cambridge)
The Regius Professorship of Greek is one of the oldest professorships at the University of Cambridge. The chair was founded by Henry VIII in 1540 with a stipend of £40 per year, subsequently increased in 1848 by a canonry of Ely Cathedral....
there in 1974, retiring in 1982.
He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1959 and served as its vice-president in 1972-3.
Works
- HeraclitusHeraclitusHeraclitus of Ephesus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, a native of the Greek city Ephesus, Ionia, on the coast of Asia Minor. He was of distinguished parentage. Little is known about his early life and education, but he regarded himself as self-taught and a pioneer of wisdom...
, The Cosmic Fragments (1954) - The Presocratic Philosophers: A Critical History with a Selection of Texts (1957) with J. E. RavenJohn RavenJohn Earle Raven , who published as J. E. Raven, was an English classical scholar, notable for his work on presocratic philosophy, and amateur botanist.-Early life and education:...
; a revised 2nd edition was published in 1983 with the help of Malcolm Schofield. - The Songs of Homer (1962) later edited as Homer and the Epic (1965)
- The Language and Background of Homer - Some Recent Studies and Controversies (1964) editor
- Myth: Its Meaning and Functions in Ancient and Other Cultures (1970)
- The Nature of Greek Myths (1974)
- Homer and the Oral Tradition (1976)
- Archilochos (1977) with Michael AyrtonMichael AyrtonMichael Ayrton was an English artist and writer, known as a painter, printmaker and sculptor, and also as a critic, broadcaster and novelist...
- The Iliad: A Commentary (1990-3) six volumes, editor