William Young Sellar

William Young Sellar (* February 22, 1825 Morvich, Sutherlandshire, † October 12, 1890 ) was a Scottish classical scholar.

After studying at the Edinburgh Academy and then the University of Glasgow he went to Balliol College, Oxford. He became a fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, and elected according to assistant professorships at the Universities of Durham, Glasgow and St Andrews in 1857, he was appointed full professor of Greek at St Andrews. In 1863 he was appointed Professor of Humanity at Edinburgh University, where he remained until his death.

Sellar was considered one of the most brilliant ancient scientists of his time and was remarkably successful in his efforts to make rather buy the spirit than the letter of the Roman literature.

Writings

• The Roman Poets of the Republic ( 3rd edition, 1889)
• The Roman Poets of the Augustan Age ( Virgil, 3rd edition, 1897)
• Thrace and the Elegiac Poets (2nd edition by WP Ker, 1899), with a memoir by Andrew Lang.