Richard Porson

Richard Porson ( born December 25, 1759 in East Ruston, Norfolk, † September 25, 1808 in London) was a British philologist Classic. He is particularly known for his research on textual criticism and metric of the Greek tragedians.

Life

Richard Porson came from a modest background: his father was a weaver and community servant, and his mother the daughter of a shoemaker. Due to its above-average performance in the village school, he won the promotion of a local landowner, which enabled him to attend the Eton College from 1774 to 1778. After graduation Porson philology studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1782 and 1785, the master's degree. Immediately after his graduation he was appointed Fellow of the College. He lived in secure circumstances and could be dedicated to the scientific publication activity. He has written numerous reviews in which he entered on text-critical problems and many corrupt passages emended. His first major publications were an edition of Xenophon's Anabasis (1786 ) and the notae breves ad Toupii emendationes in Suidam (1790) established his national fame as a textual critic, which earned him recognition abroad. During this time he also joined with Edward Gibbon, Christian Gottlob Heyne and Gottfried Hermann in contact.

Despite his international reputation as an outstanding researcher Porsons fell academic career at risk. His Fellowship in 1792 terminated because he had not been ordained a priest. Porson rejected a formal ordination of conscience, keeping only the Chair of Greek ( Regius Professor of Greek), which he had received in the same year. Since Porson not received layman fellowship, he moved to London and lived there as a private scholar. His livelihood, he played from publications, from grants from supporters and from the content of his chair at Cambridge (which earned him £ 40 a year). In Cambridge Porson took still annually exams exams, but did not hold any more lectures. His situation improved until 1806, when he was employed as a librarian at the newly founded London institution. Since Porson in this office had no obligations, but only the title and the income received ( sinecure ), the item was a late Award for his achievements as a scientist.

Porsons lasting merit is a text- critical study of Greek tragedy. He gave anonymously critical editions of the tragedies of Aeschylus (1795 ) and Euripides out ( Hecuba, 1797. Orestes, 1798. Phoenissai, 1799. Medea, 1801). In the second edition of his Hecuba edition (1802 ) he formulated a metric rule, which has since been known as Porsonsches law and features a basic metric difference between tragedy and comedy.