Glenn W. Most
Encyclopedia
Glenn Warren Most is a classicist and comparatist
originating from the US, but also working in Germany and Italy.
Most studied classics at Harvard from 1968 on and received a B.A.
Summa Cum Laude in Classics (Latin) in 1972. He then took a Masters course at Corpus Christi College
at Oxford University until 1973, when he continued at the Department of Comparative Literature of Yale University
, receiving a M. Phil.
in 1978. Two years later, he received a Ph. D. under Paul de Man
with a thesis called "The Bait of Falsehood: Studies in the Rhetorical Strategy of Poetic Truth in the Romantic Period". Simultaneously, from 1976 to 1978, he studied classics at the Philologisches Seminar of Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen and was awarded D.Phil. under Richard Kannicht with a thesis entitled "Pindar's Truth: Unity and Occasionality in the Epinician Ode".
In 1980, Most was appointed Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of Classics at Princeton University
and remained in this position until 1985. In 1982/83, he was at the American Academy in Rome
. In 1985/86, he taught at the Università degli Studi di Siena
, from then until 1987 as visiting professor at the University of Michigan
. In 1987, he followed a call from the Universität Innsbruck, becoming Ordentlicher Universitätsprofessor für Klassische Philologie und Altertumskunde. In 1988/89, he was a fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin. In 1991, Most moved to a full professorship for Ancient Greek language and literature at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, where he taught until 2001. During these years, Most also was guest professor at the University of Michigan
and professor at the Committee on Social Thought
at the University of Chicago
. In 1994, Most was the first classicist to receive the Leibniz-Preis of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
. Since 2001, he is teaching as Professor of Ancient Greek at the Scuola Normale
at Pisa.
Most’s work ranges from Greek to Latin authors, from literature to philosophy, and from history and methodology of classical studies to modern literary theory and reception history. In particular, he studies the relationship of the modern towards the ancient world, including New Testament
topics such as the story of Doubting Thomas
.
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
originating from the US, but also working in Germany and Italy.
Most studied classics at Harvard from 1968 on and received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
Summa Cum Laude in Classics (Latin) in 1972. He then took a Masters course at Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
at Oxford University until 1973, when he continued at the Department of Comparative Literature of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, receiving a M. Phil.
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1978. Two years later, he received a Ph. D. under Paul de Man
Paul de Man
Paul de Man was a Belgian-born deconstructionist literary critic and theorist.He began teaching at Bard College. Later, he completed his Ph.D. at Harvard University in the late 1950s...
with a thesis called "The Bait of Falsehood: Studies in the Rhetorical Strategy of Poetic Truth in the Romantic Period". Simultaneously, from 1976 to 1978, he studied classics at the Philologisches Seminar of Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen and was awarded D.Phil. under Richard Kannicht with a thesis entitled "Pindar's Truth: Unity and Occasionality in the Epinician Ode".
In 1980, Most was appointed Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of Classics at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and remained in this position until 1985. In 1982/83, he was at the American Academy in Rome
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
. In 1985/86, he taught at the Università degli Studi di Siena
University of Siena
The University of Siena in Siena, Tuscany is one of the oldest and first publicly funded universities in Italy. Originally called Studium Senese, the University of Siena was founded in 1240. The University has around 20,000 students, nearly half of Siena's total population of around 54,000...
, from then until 1987 as visiting professor at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. In 1987, he followed a call from the Universität Innsbruck, becoming Ordentlicher Universitätsprofessor für Klassische Philologie und Altertumskunde. In 1988/89, he was a fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin. In 1991, Most moved to a full professorship for Ancient Greek language and literature at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, where he taught until 2001. During these years, Most also was guest professor at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and professor at the Committee on Social Thought
Committee on Social Thought
The Committee on Social Thought is one of several PhD-granting committees at the University of Chicago. It was started in 1941 by historian John Ulric Nef along with economist Frank Knight, anthropologist Robert Redfield, and University President Robert Maynard Hutchins.The committee is...
at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. In 1994, Most was the first classicist to receive the Leibniz-Preis of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is an important German research funding organization and the largest such organization in Europe.-Function:...
. Since 2001, he is teaching as Professor of Ancient Greek at the Scuola Normale
Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
The Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, also known in Italian as Scuola Normale , is a public higher learning institution in Italy. It was founded in 1810, by Napoleonic decree, as a branch of the École Normale Supérieure of Paris...
at Pisa.
Most’s work ranges from Greek to Latin authors, from literature to philosophy, and from history and methodology of classical studies to modern literary theory and reception history. In particular, he studies the relationship of the modern towards the ancient world, including New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
topics such as the story of Doubting Thomas
Doubting Thomas
A Doubting Thomas is someone who will refuse to believe something without direct, physical, personal evidence; a skeptic.-Origin:The term is based on the Biblical account of Thomas the Apostle, a disciple of Jesus who doubted Jesus' resurrection and demanded to feel Jesus' wounds before being...
.
Selected works
- The measures of praise. Structure and function in Pindar's Second Pythian and Seventh Nemean odes, Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen 1985 (Hypomnemata, H. 83) ISBN 3-525-25182-3
- Collecting fragments = Fragmente sammeln (Ed.), Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen 1997 (Aporemata, Bd. 1) ISBN 3-525-25900-X
- Editing texts = Texte edieren (Ed.), Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen 1998 (Aporemata, Bd. 2) ISBN 3-525-25901-8
- Commentaries = Kommentare (Ed.), Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen 1999 (Aporemata, Bd. 4) ISBN 3-525-25903-4
- Historicization = Historisierung (Ed.), Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen 2001 (Aporemata, Bd. 5) ISBN 3-525-25904-2
- Disciplining classics = Altertumswissenschaft als Beruf (Ed.), Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen 2001 (Aporemata, Bd. 6) ISBN 3-525-25905-0
- Ancient anger: Perspectives from Homer to Galen. Ed. by Susanna Braund and Glenn W. Most. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
- Doubting ThomasDoubting ThomasA Doubting Thomas is someone who will refuse to believe something without direct, physical, personal evidence; a skeptic.-Origin:The term is based on the Biblical account of Thomas the Apostle, a disciple of Jesus who doubted Jesus' resurrection and demanded to feel Jesus' wounds before being...
. Cambridge, Mass., London: Harvard University Press, 2005.