Patrick Wilkinson (scholar) facts for kids
Lancelot Patrick Wilkinson (born June 1, 1907, died April 23, 1985) was a smart English scholar. He studied ancient Greek and Roman times. He worked at the University of Cambridge and was a leader at King's College. During World War II, he helped break secret codes for the Allies at Bletchley Park.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lancelot Wilkinson went to Charterhouse School and then King's College, Cambridge. After he finished his studies, he became a "fellow" at King's College. This meant he was a senior member of the college, often a teacher or researcher.
Joining the Code-Breakers
In 1938, just before World War II began, Wilkinson met Alastair Denniston. Denniston was in charge of the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS). When Britain declared war in October 1939, Wilkinson was one of the first new people to join this secret group. He helped find other smart people who knew many languages to join the code-breaking effort.
Working During World War II
Wilkinson worked for Bletchley Park, which was the main place where the Allies broke secret codes during the war. He first worked on Italian naval codes. In March 1943, after a big military operation called Operation Torch, he moved overseas. He worked in Algiers in North Africa and then in Malta. In Malta, he worked at a place called the Lascaris Battery.
Life After the War
After World War II ended, Wilkinson went back to Cambridge. He continued to be a Fellow at King's College. He also became a Reader in Latin Literature at the university. This meant he was a senior teacher and researcher in Latin.
Important Books and Writings
Wilkinson wrote several important books about ancient literature. These included Horace and his Lyric Poetry and The Georgics of Virgil. He also wrote a book about another scholar, Sir John Sheppard. One reviewer said that his book Ovid Recalled was very clear and let the ancient writer Ovid speak for himself.
Music and Conferences
In 1963, Wilkinson wrote the words in Latin for a piece of music. It was called Cantata Misericordium and was composed by Benjamin Britten. Wilkinson also helped organize a series of international meetings. These meetings, held at Cambridge, were about how ancient Roman and Greek culture influenced European culture. He organized them with his friend Robert Bolgar. Later, he became the Dean of King's College.
Later Years
Lancelot Wilkinson passed away in Cambridge in April 1985.
Selected Publications
- Ovid Recalled (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1955)
- Horace and his Lyric Poetry (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1951)
- The Georgics of Virgil: a Critical Survey (London: Cambridge University Press, 1969)
- Golden Latin Artistry (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1963)
- Kingsmen of a Century: 1873–1972 (Cambridge: King's College, 1980),
- A Century of King’s 1873–1972 (Cambridge: King's College, 1980)
- Le Keux's Engravings of Victorian Cambridge (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981) ISBN: 9780521303507
- 'The Augustan Rules for Dactylic Verse', Classical Quarterly 34 (1940), 30–43
- 'Greek Influence on the Poetry of Ovid' in L'influence grecque sur la poésie latine de Catulle à Ovide (1953), 223–243
- 'Pindar and the Proem to the Third Georgic', in W. Wimmel ed., Forschungen zur römischen Literatur: Festschrift zum 60 (1970)
