Peter Elmsley facts for kids

Peter Elmsley (born February 5, 1774 – died March 8, 1825) was an English scholar who studied ancient Greek and Roman history, languages, and literature. He was born in Hampstead, London, and later passed away in Oxford.

Early Life and Education

Peter Elmsley was the younger son of Alexander Elmsley. His family had roots in Scotland. Peter went to Westminster School and then studied at Christ Church, Oxford. He earned several degrees there, including a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Arts (MA).

In 1802, Peter inherited a large amount of money from his uncle, who was also named Peter Elmsley and was a well-known bookseller. This inheritance allowed Peter Elmsley to spend his time studying classical authors and old handwritten books, known as manuscripts.

His Work and Travels

Peter Elmsley became a deacon in the Church of England in 1797 and a priest in 1798. He also worked as a church leader in Little Horkesley in Essex until he died.

Around 1802, he lived in Edinburgh and wrote articles for important magazines like the Edinburgh Review and the Quarterly Review. In these articles, he shared his thoughts on various classical texts and scholars.

Elmsley traveled a lot in France and Italy. He carefully compared different old handwritten copies of classical texts, a process called "collating manuscripts." This helped him find the most accurate versions of these ancient writings. In 1818, he spent a winter studying manuscripts in the Laurentian Library in Florence, Italy.

In 1819, he was asked to help try and read some ancient papyri (old scrolls made from plants) found at Herculaneum. However, the results were not very successful.

In 1823, Peter Elmsley became the head of St. Alban Hall at Oxford University. He also became the Camden Professor of Ancient History, which meant he taught about ancient history. He held both of these important positions until his death in 1825.

Elmsley was known as a very learned person with a great reputation across Europe. He was especially good at studying Greek tragedies, particularly the plays by Sophocles and Euripides. He worked hard to fix and improve the texts of these ancient plays. Other scholars praised his careful methods. He was also the first to understand how important a specific old manuscript of Sophocles' work, called Laurentian manuscript 32.9, truly was.

Books He Edited

Peter Elmsley edited and published several important classical works:

• Aristophanes, Acharnians, Oxford and London: 1809.
• Euripides, Euripidis Omnia Opera, Glasgow: 1821. He also edited several individual plays by Euripides between 1806 and 1822.
• Sophocles, Œdipus Tyrannus, London: 1809.
• Sophocles, Œdipus Coloneus, Oxford: 1823.