Roger Mynors
Encyclopedia
Sir Roger Aubrey Baskerville Mynors (1903–1989) was a British
academic and classical scholar.
Mynors was educated at Summer Fields School
, Oxford
and won a scholarship to Eton
. He was Newcastle Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford
. At Eton and Balliol, he was a friend of Cyril Connolly
. He was Hertford and Craven Scholar, and became a Fellow of Balliol in 1926. In 1944, he became Kennedy Professor of Latin
at Cambridge University and in 1953 became Professor at Oxford
.
He was a member of the Literary Committee for the New English Bible
and worked on a new edition of Bede
's Ecclesiastical History and various Latin
translations. In 1963, he was knighted and in 1966 became president of the Classical Association
. He was an expert on ancient church manuscripts. He was an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
and the American Philosophical Society
and received honorary degrees from many universities in Britain and at the University of Toronto
.
, headmaster of Eton and Dean of Durham, and sister of Giles Alington
, a Fellow of University College, Oxford
.
Roger Mynors was killed in a car crash at the age of 86. "He had been working on his catalogue of the manuscripts in Hereford Cathedral Library, and was driving back to Treago, his country home at St Weonards near the Welsh border. As he left the cathedral he was heard to say that he had had a good day" see ref. [4].
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
academic and classical scholar.
Mynors was educated at Summer Fields School
Summer Fields School
Summer Fields is a boys' independent preparatory school based in Summertown, Oxford, England.-History:Originally called Summerfield, it became a Boys' Preparatory School in 1864 with seven pupils. Its owner, Archibald Maclaren, was a fencing teacher who ran a gymnasium in Oxford; he himself was...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and won a scholarship to Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. He was Newcastle Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. At Eton and Balliol, he was a friend of Cyril Connolly
Cyril Connolly
Cyril Vernon Connolly was an English intellectual, literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine Horizon and wrote Enemies of Promise , which combined literary criticism with an autobiographical exploration of why he failed to become the successful author of...
. He was Hertford and Craven Scholar, and became a Fellow of Balliol in 1926. In 1944, he became Kennedy Professor of Latin
Kennedy Professor of Latin
The Kennedy Professorship of Latin is the senior professorship of Latin at the University of Cambridge.In 1865, when Benjamin Hall Kennedy retired as headmaster of Shrewsbury School, his friends and former pupils created a fund with the intention of founding a chair in Latin to be named after him...
at Cambridge University and in 1953 became Professor at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
He was a member of the Literary Committee for the New English Bible
New English Bible
The New English Bible is a translation of the Bible into modern English directly from the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts . The New Testament was published in 1961...
and worked on a new edition of Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
's Ecclesiastical History and various 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...
translations. In 1963, he was knighted and in 1966 became president of the Classical Association
Classical Association
The Classical Association is a British learned society in the field of classics, and a registered charity.The association was founded on 19 December 1903, and its objects are defined in its constitution as:...
. He was an expert on ancient church manuscripts. He was an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
and the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
and received honorary degrees from many universities in Britain and at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
.
Personal life
Mynors married Lavinia Alington, daughter of Cyril AlingtonCyril Alington
Cyril Argentine Alington was an English educationalist, scholar, cleric, and prolific author. He was the headmaster of both Shrewsbury School and Eton College. He also served as chaplain to King George V and as Dean of Durham....
, headmaster of Eton and Dean of Durham, and sister of Giles Alington
Giles Alington (academic)
Giles Alington was a Fellow of University College, Oxford from 1944 to 1956.Alington was eldest son of the Very Revd Dr Cyril Alington, Headmaster of Eton College and Dean at Durham Cathedral, and his wife, Hester Margaret, née Lyttelton Giles Alington ( 29 May 1914 – 24 February 1956) was a...
, a Fellow of University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
.
Roger Mynors was killed in a car crash at the age of 86. "He had been working on his catalogue of the manuscripts in Hereford Cathedral Library, and was driving back to Treago, his country home at St Weonards near the Welsh border. As he left the cathedral he was heard to say that he had had a good day" see ref. [4].
Publications
- R.A.B. Mynors, Cassiodori senatoris Institutiones, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1937.
- R.A.B. Mynors, Durham cathedral MSS before 1200, 1939
- Bertram Colgrave and Sir Roger Mynors, Bedes Ecclesiastical history of the English People, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1969.
- R.A.B. Mynors, C. Valerii Catulli Carmina, Oxford: Clarendon Press, OCT, 1958.
- R.A.B. Mynors, C. Plini Caecili Secundi, Epistularum libri decem, Oxford: Clarendon Press, OCT,1963
- R.A.B. Mynors, XII Panegyrici Latini, Oxford: Clarendon Press, OCT, 1964.
- R.A.B. Mynors, P. Vergili Maronis Opera, Oxford: Clarendon Press, OCT, 1969.
- R.A.B. Mynors (post.: with a pref. by R.G.M. Nisbet), Virgil Georgics, edited with a commentary by R.A.B. Mynors, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990.