Sir Eric Gardner Turner

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(26 February 1911 – 20 April 1983) was an English

papyrologist Papyrology is the study of manuscripts of ancient literature, correspondence, legal archives, etc., preserved on portable media from antiquity, the most common form of which is papyrus, the principal writing material in the ancient civilizations ...

and

classicist Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

. Turner was born in Broomhill, Sheffield. He was educated at King Edward VII School and

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...

, and taught

classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

at the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...

from 1936 to 1948, although from 1941 to 1945 he served in the Naval Intelligence Division at

Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is an English country house and Bletchley Park estate, estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire), that became the principal centre of Allies of World War II, Allied World War II cryptography, code-breaking during the S ...

. In 1948 he became first Reader in Papyrology at

University College, London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

, and was promoted to professor in 1950. He retired in 1978. He was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in 1975 and was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in 1981. He was an elected member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

Works

* ''Catalogue of Greek and Latin papyri and ostraca in the possession of the University of Aberdeen.'' University Press, Aberdeen, 1939. * Bernard Pyne Grenfell, Arthur Surridge Hunt, Eric Gardner Turner (eds.): ''The Hibeh papyri.'' Egypt Exploration Fund, London, 1906. * ''Athenian books in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. An inaugural lecture delivered at University College London, 22 May 1951.'' H. K. Lewis & Co. Ltd., London, 1952. * ''Greek Papyri. An Introduction.'' Oxford University Press, Oxford 1968; first paperback edition 1980, . Italian edition: Rome 1984. * ''New fragments of the Misoumenos of Menander.'' The University of London,

Institute of Classical Studies The Institute of Classical Studies is a research institution associated with the University of London and a member of the School of Advanced Study. The institute is a national and international research institute in the languages, literature, hi ...

, London 1965 (Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, Supplement 17). * ''Ménandre. Sept exposés suivis de discussions, Vandoeuvres-Genève 1969.'' Entretiens préparés et présidés par Eric G. Turner. Foundation Hardt pours l'Etude de l'Antiquité Classique, Vandoeuvres, 1970 (Entretien sur l'Antiquité Classique, t. 16). * ''Greek manuscripts of the ancient world.'' Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1971, . The second edition revised and enlarged. Edited by Peter J. Parsons. The University of London,

, 1987 (Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, 46), . * ''The Papyrologist at Work.'' Durham, NC, Duke University, 1973. * with T. S. Pattie: ''The written word on papyrus. An exhibition held in The British Museum, 30 July – 27 October 1974.'' Published for the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

Board by

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

Publications Limited. London, British Library, 1974, . * ''The Typology of the Early Codex.'' Philadelphia 1977. * Menander (of Athens.), Eric Gardner Turner: ''The lost beginning of Menander, Misoumenos.'' Volume 63 of Proceedings, British Academy. Oxford University Press, 1978

References

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

1911 births 1983 deaths People from Broomhill and Sharrow Vale People educated at King Edward VII School, Sheffield Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Academics of the University of Aberdeen Academics of University College London Bletchley Park people English classical scholars British papyrologists Knights Bachelor Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century British historians British classical philologists International members of the American Philosophical Society {{UK-historian-stub