Michael Grant (author)
Encyclopedia
Michael Grant was an English classicist
, numismatist, and author of numerous popular books on ancient history. His 1956 translation of Tacitus
’s Annals of Imperial Rome remains a standard of the work. Having studied and held a number of academic posts in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, he retired early to devote himself fully to writing. He once described himself as "one of the very few freelances in the field of ancient history: a rare phenomenon". As a popularizer, his hallmarks were his prolific output and his unwillingness to oversimplify or talk down to his readership.
, the son of Col. Maurice Grant who served in the Boer War
and later wrote part of its official history. Young Grant attended Harrow
and read classics (1933–37) at Trinity College, Cambridge
. His specialty was academic numismatics
. His research fellowship thesis later became his first published book — From Imperium to Auctoritas (1946), on Roman bronze coins. Over the next decade he wrote four books on Roman coinage; his view was that the tension between the eccentricity of the Roman emperors and the traditionalism of the Roman mint made coins (used as both propaganda and currency) a unique social record.
During World War II
, Grant served for a year as an intelligence officer
in London after which he was assigned (1940) as the UK's first British Council
representative in Turkey. In this capacity he was instrumental in getting his friend, the eminent historian Steven (later Sir Steven) Runciman
, his position at Ankara University
. While in Turkey, he also married Anne-Sophie Beskow (they eventually had two sons). At war's end, the couple returned to the UK with Grant’s collection of almost 700 Roman coins (now in the Fitzwilliam Museum
in Cambridge).
After a brief return to Cambridge, Grant applied for the vacant chair of Humanity (Latin) at Edinburgh University which he held from 1948 until 1959. During a two year (1956–58) leave of absence he also served as vice-chancellor (president) of the University of Khartoum
— upon his departure, he turned the university over to the newly independent Sudanese government. He was then vice-chancellor of Queen's University of Belfast
(1959–66), after which he pursued a career as a full time writer. According to his obituary in The Times
he was "one of the few classical historians to win respect from [both] academics and a lay readership". Immensely prolific, he wrote and edited more than 70 books of nonfiction and translation, covering topics from Roman coinage and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius
to the Gospel
s. He produced general surveys of ancient Greek, Roman and Israelite history as well as biographies of giants such as Julius Caesar
, Herod the Great
, Cleopatra, Nero
, Jesus
, St. Peter and St. Paul.
As early as the 1950s, Grant's publishing success was somewhat controversial within the classicist community. According to The Times
:
From 1966 until his death, Grant lived with his wife in Gattaiola, a village near Lucca
in Tuscany
. His autobiography, My First Eighty Years, appeared in 1994.
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
, numismatist, and author of numerous popular books on ancient history. His 1956 translation of Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
’s Annals of Imperial Rome remains a standard of the work. Having studied and held a number of academic posts in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, he retired early to devote himself fully to writing. He once described himself as "one of the very few freelances in the field of ancient history: a rare phenomenon". As a popularizer, his hallmarks were his prolific output and his unwillingness to oversimplify or talk down to his readership.
Biography
Grant was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of Col. Maurice Grant who served in the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
and later wrote part of its official history. Young Grant attended Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and read classics (1933–37) at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. His specialty was academic numismatics
Numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the...
. His research fellowship thesis later became his first published book — From Imperium to Auctoritas (1946), on Roman bronze coins. Over the next decade he wrote four books on Roman coinage; his view was that the tension between the eccentricity of the Roman emperors and the traditionalism of the Roman mint made coins (used as both propaganda and currency) a unique social record.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Grant served for a year as an intelligence officer
Intelligence officer
An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile and/or analyze information which is of use to that organization...
in London after which he was assigned (1940) as the UK's first British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
representative in Turkey. In this capacity he was instrumental in getting his friend, the eminent historian Steven (later Sir Steven) Runciman
Steven Runciman
The Hon. Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman CH — known as Steven Runciman — was a British historian known for his work on the Middle Ages...
, his position at Ankara University
Ankara University
Ankara University is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in the Turkish Republic....
. While in Turkey, he also married Anne-Sophie Beskow (they eventually had two sons). At war's end, the couple returned to the UK with Grant’s collection of almost 700 Roman coins (now in the Fitzwilliam Museum
Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge, England. It receives around 300,000 visitors annually. Admission is free....
in Cambridge).
After a brief return to Cambridge, Grant applied for the vacant chair of Humanity (Latin) at Edinburgh University which he held from 1948 until 1959. During a two year (1956–58) leave of absence he also served as vice-chancellor (president) of the University of Khartoum
University of Khartoum
The University of Khartoum ia a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Khartoum. It is the largest and oldest university in Sudan. UofK was founded as Gordon Memorial College in 1902 and established in 1956 when Sudan gained independence...
— upon his departure, he turned the university over to the newly independent Sudanese government. He was then vice-chancellor of Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
(1959–66), after which he pursued a career as a full time writer. According to his obituary in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
he was "one of the few classical historians to win respect from [both] academics and a lay readership". Immensely prolific, he wrote and edited more than 70 books of nonfiction and translation, covering topics from Roman coinage and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting...
to the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
s. He produced general surveys of ancient Greek, Roman and Israelite history as well as biographies of giants such as Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, Herod the Great
Herod the Great
Herod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his...
, Cleopatra, Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, St. Peter and St. Paul.
As early as the 1950s, Grant's publishing success was somewhat controversial within the classicist community. According to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
:
Grant’s approach to classical history was beginning to divide critics. Numismatists felt that his academic work was beyond reproach, but some academics balked at his attempt to condense a survey of Roman literature into 300 pages, and felt (in the words of one reviewer) that “even the most learned and gifted of historians should observe a speed-limit”. The academics would keep cavilling, but the public kept buying.
From 1966 until his death, Grant lived with his wife in Gattaiola, a village near Lucca
Lucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
. His autobiography, My First Eighty Years, appeared in 1994.
Degrees, honors and accolades
- Litt.D. (Cambridge)
- Hon. Litt. D. (Dublin)
- Hon. LL. D. (Queen's University, Belfast)
- Honorary Fellow, Royal Numismatic SocietyRoyal Numismatic SocietyThe Royal Numismatic Society is a learned society and charity based in London, United Kingdom which promotes research into all branches of numismatics...
- Medallist, Royal Numismatic Society
- President, Royal Numismatic Society
- Archer M. HuntingtonArcher M. HuntingtonArcher Milton Huntington was the son of Arabella Huntington and the stepson of railroad magnate and industrialist Collis P. Huntington...
Medalist, American Numismatic SocietyAmerican Numismatic SocietyThe American Numismatic Society is a New York City-based organization dedicated to the study of coins and medals.-Introduction:... - OBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1946) - CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1958)
Original works
- From Imperium to Auctoritas (1946; Rev. ed., 1971)
- Aspects of the Principate of Tiberius: Historical Comments on the Colonial Coinage Issued Outside Spain (1950), New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
: American Numismatic SocietyAmerican Numismatic SocietyThe American Numismatic Society is a New York City-based organization dedicated to the study of coins and medals.-Introduction:...
(Series: Numismatic Notes and Monographs, no. 116). - Roman Anniversary Issues: An Exploratory Study of the Numismatic and Medallic Commemoration of Anniversary Years, 49 B.C.-A.D. 375. (1950), Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
- Ancient History (1952)
- The Six Main Aes Coinages of Augustus (1953), Edinburgh: University Press.
- Roman Imperial Money (1954), Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd.Thomas Nelson (publisher)Thomas Nelson is a publishing firm that began in Scotland in 1798 as the namesake of its founder. Its former US division is currently the sixth largest American trade publisher and the world's largest Christian publisher. It is owned by the private equity firm Kohlberg & Company...
- Roman History from Coins (1958; Rev ed, 1968, Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
) - The World of Rome (1960; Rev. eds., 19??/1974/1987)
- The Ancient Mediterranean (1961; Rev. ed., 1969)
- Myths of the Greeks and Romans (1962; New biblio: 1986 & 1995) ISBN 0-452-01162-0
- Greece and Rome: The Birth of Western Civilization (1964; Rev. ed., 1986)
- The Civilizations of Europe (1965)
- The Gladiators (1967)
- The Climax of Rome: The Final Achievements of the Ancient World, AD 161-337 (1968; Rev. eds., 19??/1974)
- Julius Caesar (1969)
- The Ancient Historians (1970)
- The Roman Forum (1970; Rev. ed., 1974)
- Nero (1970)
- Herod the Great (1971)
- Roman Myths (1971; Rev. eds., 1972/1973)
- Cities of Vesuvius: Pompeii and Herculaneum (1971)
- Atlas of Classical History (1971; Rev. eds., 1974/1986/1989/1994) [AKA Ancient History Atlas]
- Cleopatra (1972; Rev. ed., 1974), Weidenfeld and Nicholson
- The Jews in the Roman World (1973; Rev. ed., 1984)
- Who's Who in Classical Mythology, with John Hazel (1973; Slightly revised 1993 & 2002)
- Caesar (1974), introduction by Elizabeth LongfordElizabeth LongfordElizabeth Pakenham, Countess of Longford, CBE, better known as Elizabeth Longford was a British author.-Life:...
(Reprint of 1969 book?) - Army of the Caesars (1974)
- Cities of Vesuvius: Pompeii and Herculaneum (1974)
- The Twelve Caesars (1975)
- Erotic Art in Pompeii: The Secret Collection of the National Museum of Naples (1975), LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
: Octopus Books LtdHamlyn (publishers)Hamlyn is a UK publishing company founded by Paul Hamlyn in 1950 with an initial investment of £350. His desire was to create "fine books with the common touch" which remains the foundation of its commercial success...
; Photos by Antonia Mulas, Collection descriptions by Antonio De Simone and Maria Teresa Merella (Original publication in Italian, 1974) - The Fall of the Roman Empire (1976; Rev. ed., 1990) ISBN 0-02-028560-4
- Paul (1976)
- Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels (1977)
- History of Rome (1978) ISBN 0-02-345610-8 ISBN 978-0-571-11461-0
- Greece and Italy in the Classical World (1978; Rev. ed., 19??)
- The Art and Life of Pompeii and Herculaneum (1979)
- The Etruscans (1980)
- Greek and Latin Authors: 800 BC - AD 1000 (1980)
- Dawn of the Middle Ages (1981) -- coffee table book
- From Alexander to Cleopatra: the Hellenistic World (1982) [AKA The Hellenistic Greeks (1990)]
- The History of Ancient Israel (1984)
- The Roman Emperors: A Biographical Guide to the Rulers of Imperial Rome 31BC - 476 AD (1985)
- A Guide to the Ancient World: A Dictionary of Classical Place Names (1986)
- The Rise of the Greeks (1987)
- The Classical Greeks (1989)
- The Visible Past: Greek and Roman History from Archaeology, 1960-1990 (1990) [AKA The Visible Past: An Archaeological Reinterpretation of Ancient History]
- Founders of the Western World: A History of Greece and Rome (1991) [AKA A Short History of Classical Civilization]
- Greeks and Romans: A Social History (1992) [ AKA A Social History of Greece and Rome]
- The Emperor Constantine (1993) [AKA Constantine the Great: The Man and His Times (1994)]
- The Antonines: The Roman Empire in Transition (1994)
- St Peter: A Biography (1994)
- My First Eighty Years (1994), Autobiography
- The Sayings of the Bible (1994), Duckworth Sayings Series
- Greek and Roman Historians: Information and Misinformation (1995)
- Art in the Roman Empire (1995)
- The Severans: The Changed Roman Empire (1996)
- From Rome to Byzantium: The Fifth Century (1998)
- Collapse and Recovery of the Roman Empire (1999; Series: Routledge Key Guides)
- Sick Caesars (2000)
Translations
- TacitusTacitusPublius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, The Annals of Imperial Rome (1956; Rev. ed., 1977) - CiceroCiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
, Selected Works (1960; Rev. eds., 1965, 1971) - Cicero, Selected Political Speeches (1969)
- Cicero, Cicero on the Good Life (1971)
- Cicero, Murder Trials (1975)
- Cicero, On Government (1993)
Editor/Reviser
- Roman Literature (1954; Rev. eds., 1958/1964); Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
- Roman Readings (1958; Rev. ed., 1967) [AKA Latin Literature: An Anthology (1979; New biblio: 1989)]
- Greek Literature in Translation (1973) [AKA Greek Literature: An Anthology: Translations from Greek Prose and Poetry]
- SuetoniusSuetoniusGaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
, The Twelve Caesars: An Illustrated Edition (1979; Revision of Robert GravesRobert GravesRobert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
' 1957 translation) - Civilization of the Ancient Mediterranean (with R. Kitzinger, 1988)
- ApuleiusApuleiusApuleius was a Latin prose writer. He was a Berber, from Madaurus . He studied Platonist philosophy in Athens; travelled to Italy, Asia Minor and Egypt; and was an initiate in several cults or mysteries. The most famous incident in his life was when he was accused of using magic to gain the...
, The Golden Ass (1990; Revision of Robert GravesRobert GravesRobert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
' 1950 translation) - Readings in the Classical Historians (1992)
Contributor
- "Translating Latin Prose", ARIEL: A Review of International English Literature, Vol. 2, No. 2; April 1971. (Reprinted in Radice William and Barbara Reynolds (1987), The Translater's Art: Essays in Honor of Betty Radice, Harmondsworth: Penguin, pp 81–91.)
- Entry, "Julius Caesar" [Review of the 1953 filmJulius Caesar (1953 film)Julius Caesar is an 1953 MGM film adaptation of the play by Shakespeare, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who also wrote the uncredited screenplay, and produced by John Houseman. The original music score is by Miklós Rózsa...
], In: Carnes, Mark C., ed. (1995), Past Imperfect: History According to the Movies, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
: Henry Holt and CompanyHenry Holt and CompanyHenry Holt and Company is an American book publishing company. One of the oldest publishers in the United States, it was founded in 1866 by Henry Holt and Frederick Leypoldt...
(Series: A Society of American Historians Book), pp 44–47.