Temple Stanyan facts for kids

Temple Stanyan (1675–1752) was an English government worker, writer, and politician. He is best known for his book, Grecian History, which was first published in 1707. This book became a very important work about the history of ancient Greece in the early 1700s.

Early Life and Education

Temple Stanyan was born on February 8, 1675, in Monken Hadley, which was then part of Middlesex. He was one of eight children. His father, Lawrence Stanyan, was a merchant and farmer. His mother was Dorothy Stanyan. Temple's older brother, Abraham Stanyan, later became a British ambassador to several countries. Temple might have been named after his uncle-by-marriage, Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet.

In 1691, Temple Stanyan started at Westminster School. He then went to Christ Church, Oxford in 1695, but he did not finish his degree. In 1697, his uncle, Sir Richard Temple, passed away. Temple Stanyan inherited one of his properties, Rawlins Manor, in Oxfordshire.

Working for the Government

After leaving Oxford, Temple Stanyan began working for the government. By 1715, he was an under-secretary in the Northern Department. This department handled foreign relations with countries in Northern Europe.

In 1717, he moved to the Southern Department, which dealt with Southern European countries. He worked there as an under-secretary for about a year. In 1719, he became the Clerk of the Privy Council, taking over from his brother Abraham. The Privy Council was a group of advisors to the King.

Stanyan also rejoined the Southern Department as an under-secretary in 1724. In 1726, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, a group that promotes science. He left his role as Clerk of the Privy Council in 1731 and left the Southern Department in 1735.

Family Life

Temple Stanyan was married three times. His first wife was Elizabeth Boys. His second wife was Susannah Hobbs, whom he married in 1721. His third wife was Grace Pauncefort.

Temple Stanyan passed away at his home, Rawlins Manor, on March 25, 1752. He was buried at the church of St Peter and St Paul, Checkendon. There is a memorial inside the church for him. His third wife survived him. His daughter, Catherine, later married Admiral Charles Hardy in 1759. Their oldest son, Temple Hardy, was likely named after Temple Stanyan. He became a well-known officer in the Royal Navy.

His Famous Works

Temple Stanyan's most famous work was his two-volume book, Grecian History, from the Original of Greece, to the Death of Philip of Macedon. The first part was published in 1707. The second part came out much later, in 1739, along with an updated version of the first volume.

This Grecian History was the first major English book about ancient Greece written for the general public. It became very popular and was considered the main book on the topic throughout the 1700s. It was even translated into French in 1743. In his book, Stanyan praised Sparta for being a strong and stable state. He believed it was free from political arguments. However, he criticized the democratic system of Classical Athens, saying it had many problems.

Later in the 1700s, Stanyan's history was replaced by William Mitford's History of Greece. Mitford's work was also later seen as having problems because it showed his own strong political views.

Stanyan also helped translate Ovid's Metamorphoses in 1717. He translated "The Story of Polyxena and Hecuba" from Book XIII. Other famous writers like Alexander Pope and John Dryden also worked on this translation. He also contributed to a collection of poems about archery in 1726. Stanyan wrote the Latin words on the statue of King George II at Greenwich Hospital.