A. N. Sherwin-White facts for kids

Adrian Nicolas Sherwin-White (born August 10, 1911 – died November 1, 1993) was a smart British scholar and a historian who studied ancient times. He taught at St John's College, Oxford, part of the University of Oxford. He also led a group called the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, which helps people learn about ancient Rome. He wrote important books about Roman citizenship, Roman law in the New Testament, and the letters of Pliny the Younger.

Adrian Sherwin-White: Early Life and Education

Adrian Nicolas Sherwin-White was born on August 10, 1911. His father was a lawyer for the London County Council. Adrian went to Merchant Taylors' School from 1923 to 1930. One year, he had to study at home because he was sick.

Studying at Oxford University

Adrian won a special scholarship to St John's College, Oxford, which is connected to his school. He started studying there in 1930. He took a course called Literae Humaniores, which means "humanities." This course covered ancient history, philosophy, and classical languages.

His history teacher, Hugh Last, was very interested in how the Roman government worked. This interest helped shape Adrian's own studies later on. Adrian did very well in his exams at Oxford, earning top grades in 1934.

Becoming a Roman Historian

After finishing his studies, Adrian started working on his PhD. His main topic was Roman citizenship. In 1935, he won two awards: the Derby Scholarship and the Arnold Historical Essay Prize.

His Important Book: The Roman Citizenship

In 1936, Adrian married Marie Leonora Downes. He also became a fellow at St John's College, taking over from his old teacher, Hugh Last. He got this job even before he finished his PhD.

He submitted his PhD paper in 1937. The people who reviewed it said it showed "maturity of judgement" which was rare for a young scholar. Adrian decided not to officially accept the PhD degree, preferring to be called "Mr." However, he turned his paper into a book called The Roman Citizenship, published in 1939. This book became a very important work for people studying Roman history.

Working During World War II

Adrian Sherwin-White had poor eyesight, so he could not join the army during World War II. But the head of St John's College suggested him for a job in Naval intelligence. In 1941, he became a Temporary Sub-Lieutenant.

He helped create special books for the British Admiralty that described different places around the world. This work gave him a lot of knowledge about geography. He later used this knowledge in his historical writings, like an article he wrote in 1944 about the history and geography of Algeria.

Life After the War and Later Works

After the war, Adrian went back to teaching at St John's College. He also took care of the college garden. In 1956, he was recognized for his work and became a fellow of the British Academy.

Key Books and Ideas

He wrote a school textbook called Ancient Rome in 1959. He also wrote more advanced books, like Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament (1963). This book looked at the New Testament from the view of Roman law. He believed that the stories in the New Testament were historically accurate.

In 1963, Adrian and his family moved to a small house near Fyfield, Oxfordshire. This did not stop his work at Oxford. In 1966, he published a big book about the letters of Pliny the Younger. This book took him at least eighteen years to write. It was the first book of its kind and is still important today.

Adrian became a Reader in Ancient History in 1966. He also served as the President of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies from 1974 to 1977. His last book, Roman Foreign Policy in the East, came out in 1983, after he had retired.

Adrian Sherwin-White passed away on November 1, 1993. He was survived by his wife and two children. His son, David Sherwin, became a screenwriter, famous for the movie If…. His daughter, Susan Sherwin-White, was also a historian who studied ancient Greece and the Seleucid Empire.