Robert Ellis (c.1820–1885) was an English classical scholar.

Life

The son of John Ellis of

Peckham Peckham ( ) is a district in south-east London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon place name meaning the vi ...

, Ellis was admitted a member of St. John's College, Cambridge, 9 April 1836, elected a scholar 5 November 1839, and graduated B.A. as fifth wrangler in 1840, obtaining a fellowship 20 March 1841. He took his M.A. degree in 1843, and was ordained two years later. In 1850 he commenced B.D. He vacated his fellowship by his marriage, 2 April 1872, at

Meole Brace Meole Brace, also known simply as Meole ( ), is a south-western suburb of Shrewsbury, in the civil parish of Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, England. The Rea Brook, a tributary of the River Severn, flows through the area. The brook was in the past ...

, near Shrewsbury, to Jane, daughter of Francis France of

Nobold Nobold is a hamlet on the south-western edge of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England. It is located on the Shrewsbury to Longden road. Nobold boasts Shropshire's oldest natural water well. Nearby are Meole Brace and Hook-a-Gate villages. See als ...

, Shropshire. He died, 20 December 1885, at 3 Higher Summerlands,

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

, aged 65. He is chiefly known by his sharp controversy with William John Law, which ranged from 1854 to 1885, on the route followed by

Hannibal Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. Hannibal's fat ...

in his passage of the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

. Ellis had investigated the subject during excursions in the Alps in July 1852 and in April and May 1853.

Works

* ''A Treatise on Hannibal's Passage of the Alps, in which his route is traced over the Little Mount Cenis'', 8vo, Cambridge rinted London, 1853. On this subject he also wrote two elaborate dissertations in December 1855 and in March 1856 in ''The Journal of Classical and Sacred Philology'' (ii, 308-29, iii. 1-34), which are entitled 'Observations on Mr. Law's "Criticism of Mr. Ellis's new Theory concerning the Route of Hannibal."' * ''Contributions to the Ethnography of Italy and Greece'', 8vo, London, 1858. * ''The Armenian Origin of the

Etruscans The Etruscan civilization ( ) was an ancient civilization created by the Etruscans, a people who inhabited Etruria in List of ancient peoples of Italy, ancient Italy, with a common language and culture, and formed a federation of city-states. Af ...

'', 8vo, London, 1861. * ''An Enquiry into the Ancient Routes between Italy and Gaul; with an examination of the Theory of Hannibal's Passage of the Alps by the Little St. Bernard'', 8vo, Cambridge, 1867. * ''The Asiatic Affinities of the Old Italians'', 8vo, London, 1870. * ''On Numerals as Signs of Primeval Unity among Mankind'', 8vo, London, 1873. * ''Peruvia Scythica. The Quichus Language of Peru; its derivation from Central Asia with the American Languages in general, and with the Turanian and Iberian Languages of the Old World'', &c., 8vo, London, 1875. * ''Etruscan Numerals'', 8vo, London, 1876. * ''Sources of the Etruscan and Basque Languages'' ith a preface by Mrs. Jane Ellis 8vo, London, 1886.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Robert 1820s births 1885 deaths Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge English classical scholars