Michael Courtney Jenkins Putnam (born September 20, 1933) is an American

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 ...

specializing in

Latin literature Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings written in the Latin language. The beginning of formal Latin literature dates to 240 BC, when the first stage play in Latin was performed in Rome. Latin literatur ...

, but has also studied literature written in many other languages. Putnam has been particularly influential in his publications concerning

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...

‘s ‘’

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan War#Sack of Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Ancient Rome ...

‘’. He is the son of politician and businessman

Roger Putnam Roger Lowell Putnam (December 19, 1893 – November 24, 1972) was an American politician and businessman. A member of the prominent Lowell family of Boston, he served as mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts, from 1937 until 1943, and as director ...

. Putnam received his B.A., M.A., and Ph. D. from Harvard. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1959 he taught at

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

for a year. He then moved on to teach at

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

and served as W. Duncan MacMillan II Professor of Classics and a professor of comparative literature for 48 years before retiring in 2008. He was awarded the 1963

Rome Prize The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Recipients must be American citizens. Prizes have been aw ...

, and was later a Resident (1970) and Mellon Professor in Charge of the Classical School (1989-91). He was elected to the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

in 1996 and 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 ...

in 1998. He served as sole trustee of

Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark ...

from 1967 to 1987. Asteroid

2557 Putnam __NOTOC__ Year 557 ( DLVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 557 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe f ...

was named in his and his father’s honor. The official was published by the

Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Funct ...

on 8 April 1982 ().

Publications

In addition to a number of articles and reviews, Putnam has published the following books: * The Poetry of the Aeneid (1965) * Virgil’s Pastoral Art: Studies in the Eclogues (1970) * Tibullus: A Commentary (1973) * Virgil’s Poem of the Earth (1979) * Essays on Latin Lyric, Elegy, and Epic (1982) * Artifices of Eternity: Horace’s Fourth Book of Odes (1986) * Virgil’s Aeneid: Interpretation and Influence (1995) * Virgil’s Epic Designs: Ekphrasis in the Aeneid (1998) * Horace’s ‘’Carmen Saeculare’': Ritual Magic and the Poet’s Art (2000) * The Humanness of Heroes: Studies in the Conclusion of Virgil’s Aeneid (2011) * The Poetic World of Statius' Silvae (2023) He translated and edited Maffeo Vegio: Short Epics (2004); Poetic Interplay: Catullus and Horace (2006).The Directory of Research and Researchers at Brown: Michael C.J. Putnam
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References

External links

Brown University Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Putnam, Michael C. J. 1933 births Living people Writers from Springfield, Massachusetts American classical scholars Harvard University alumni Smith College faculty Classical scholars of Brown University Scholars of Latin literature Members of the American Philosophical Society