T. W. Allen
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Thomas William Allen, (9 May 1862 – 30 April 1950) was an English
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 ...
, scholar of
Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
and
palaeographer Palaeography ( UK) or paleography ( US) (ultimately from , , 'old', and , , 'to write') is the study and academic discipline of historical writing systems. It encompasses the historicity of manuscripts and texts, subsuming deciphering and dati ...
. He was a fellow of
The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault, queen of England. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassi ...
, from 1890 until his death sixty years later. He is best known for his editions of
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
for
Oxford Classical Texts Oxford Classical Texts (OCT), or Scriptorum Classicorum Bibliotheca Oxoniensis, is a series of books published by Oxford University Press. It contains texts of ancient Greek and Latin literature, such as Homer's ''Odyssey'' and Virgil's ''Aeneid'' ...
and work on Greek palaeography.


Early life and education

Allen was born on 9 May 1862 at 103 Camden Road Villas,
Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, the eldest child of Thomas Bull Allen, a wholesale tea dealer, and his wife Amelia Le Lacheur, daughter of William Le Lacheur. Wilson, N. G. (1990)
"Thomas William Allen 1862–1950."
''
Proceedings of the British Academy The ''Proceedings of the British Academy'' is a series of academic volumes on subjects in the humanities and social sciences. The first volume was published in 1905. Up to 1991, the volumes (appearing annually from 1927) mostly consisted of the te ...
'' 76: 311-19.
Wilson, N. G. (2004)
"Allen, Thomas William (1862-1950)"
''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
'' 1:821-22. Oxford:
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
.
His sister Edith married another classicist
John Percival Postgate John Percival Postgate, FBA (24 October 1853 – 15 July 1926) was an English classicist and academic. He was a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge from 1878 until his death, and also taught at Girton College, Cambridge (1877–1909) and Un ...
, who was her tutor at
Girton College, Cambridge Girton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college at Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college status by the un ...
.Calder, W. M., III (2004). "Allen, Thomas William (1862-1950)." ''Dictionary of British Classicists'' 1:11-12. Bristol: Thoemmes Continuum. Details about Allen's upbringing are lacking, but he was educated at Amersham School and by private tutors before going up to
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 ...
in 1880."Dr. T. W. Allen." ''The Times'' (London, England), 1 May 1950, 8. In June of the next year he was elected to a classical scholarship at
The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault, queen of England. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassi ...
, matriculating on 28 October 1881. He earned
honours Honour (Commonwealth English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is a quality of a person that is of both social teaching and personal ethos, that manifests itself as a code of conduct, and has various elements such as valo ...
: first class in Mods (
Honour Moderations Honour Moderations (or ''Mods'') are a set of examinations at the University of Oxford at the end of the first part of some degree courses (e.g., Greats or '' Literae Humaniores''). Honour Moderations candidates have a class awarded (hence the ...
) 1882 and first class in '' Literae Humaniores'' 1885.Magrath, J. R. (1921)
''The Queen's College. Vol. II,''
pp. 334, 341, 343 (fellows); 351, 357 (honours classes). Oxford: Clarendon Press.
After receiving his B.A. in 1885 he was made a Fellow of
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 ...
the same year, a rare honour. He began teaching, standing in as a temporary professor of Humanity in the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
for the 1885–6 school year.


Academia and research

Allen became keenly interested in Greek manuscripts and published his first notes on the subject in 1887. He would later write in the preface to his magnum opus: "My interest in palaeography and philology began with the man to whom I dedicate this book, my only teacher."Allen, T. W., ed. (1931). ''Homeri Ilias'', 3 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press. That man was
Alfred Goodwin Alfred Theodore Goodwin (June 29, 1923 – December 27, 2022) was an American jurist who was a United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and also a district judge of th ...
(1849–1892), Professor of Greek at University College London. Allen also dedicated his first book ''Notes on Abbreviations in Greek Manuscripts'' (1889) to him. Goodwin was much respected and was considered by many to be a remarkable and stimulating teacher.Goodwin was originally appointed Professor of Latin in 1867, but in 1879-80 he was also appointed Professor of Greek. The combined professorships proved too much and he was solely Professor of Greek from 1880-89. He once again tried the combined professorships in 1889, but again it proved too much and led to his premature death a couple of years later. The Latin Chair was filled by the great
A. E. Housman Alfred Edward Housman (; 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936) was an English classics, classical scholar and poet. He showed early promise as a student at the University of Oxford, but he failed his final examination in ''literae humaniores'' and t ...
; see Richard Perceval Graves, ''A. E. Housman: The Scholar-Poet'' (Faber & Faber, 2014), 82-83; Faculties of Arts and Sciences
''Notes and Materials for the History of University College, London''
(London: H. K. Lewis, 1898), 18-22.
Allen became a close friend and assisted Goodwin in his work on a new edition of the
Homeric Hymns The ''Homeric Hymns'' () are a collection of thirty-three ancient Greek hymns and one epigram. The hymns praise deities of the Greek pantheon and retell mythological stories, often involving a deity's birth, their acceptance among the gods ...
by collating a number of manuscripts. Goodwin had conceived the edition as a two-volume production, with text and commentary, but after his premature death, only notes to about four hundred lines of the text could be located. Allen was asked to assume responsibility for seeing what remained through the press, a task that entailed considerable labour on his part, though out of modesty he omitted his name from the title page
''Hymni Homerici''
ed. Goodwin xford, 1893. In the
Michaelmas Term Michaelmas ( ) term is the first academic term of the academic year in a number of English-speaking universities and schools in the northern hemisphere, especially in the United Kingdom. Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St M ...
1887 Allen was elected to a Craven Fellowship at Oxford. Under the new scheme of 1886, the Craven Fellow was to receive £200 annually for two years and was "required to spend at least eight months of each year of his tenure of the Fellowship in residence abroad for the purpose of study at some place or places approved by the electing Committee." Allen had proposed to the electors three lines of study: "a collation of MSS. of the ''Iliad'', a collection of materials bearing upon palaeography generally, and, in cases where is seemed useful, cataloguing of manuscripts." He followed his proposal and spent the bulk of 1888 and 1889 primarily in Italy combing the libraries for relevant manuscripts.Some sixty years later, the classical scholar Douglas Young made a similar journey scouring the European libraries for
Theognis Theognis of Megara (, ''Théognis ho Megareús'') was a Greek lyric poet active in approximately the sixth century BC. The work attributed to him consists of gnomic poetry quite typical of the time, featuring ethical maxims and practical advice ...
manuscripts. Before setting off, he consulted with Allen and found him "full of reminiscence of several of the Dutch and Italian libraries I was aiming to visit." Allen cautioned him: "On no account, my dear sir, drink the wine of Modena. Lambrusco they call it. Only fit for gondoliers" (Douglas Young, ''Chasing an Ancient Greek: Discursive Reminiscences of an European Journey'' ondon: Hollis & Carter, 1950 9). Young provides a glimpse into what he and Allen faced: " ny catalogues are defective or inaccurate, without indices, or with indices whose items stray from the order of the alphabet. Few things are more baffling than to peruse, in the hope of a reference to some part of the author one seeks, an unindexed account in Bulgarian of the manuscript collection of some Balkan monastery, which has subsequently been sacked by Greeks or Turks. It may prove that a famous library with hundreds of Greek manuscripts contains none of your particular pet. Then you find that in a collection of only two MSS. in a minor repository one is to your purpose. Whereupon you must confirm with the librarian whether the catalogue is right and the MS. still exists, or has been burned, stolen, or mislaid, the last a possibility of frequent occurrence" (ibid., 2-3). Finally, in defense of
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
and its
Lambrusco Lambrusco (, ) is the name of both an Italian red wine grape and a wine made principally from the grape. The grapes and the wine originate from four zones in Emilia-Romagna and one in Lombardy―principally around the central provinces of Moden ...
, Young writes: "Not only did I much relish this altogether unclassifiable wine, but the food and the company were excellent as well" (ibid., 107).
His first boo
''Notes on Abbreviations in Greek Manuscripts''
(1889) offered the result of his palaeographical investigations and was well received by England's greatest expert on the subject Sir Edward Maunde Thompson. Although not a comprehensive work, it was then the best study of the topic in English and is still a useful guide for students. The next year he would publish his second boo
''Notes on Greek Manuscripts in Italian Libraries''
(1890), which offered useful "rough lists," providing pertinent details not available in published catalogues, which were often inadequate, or did not exist. The Convocation at Oxford had authorized an expenditure of £500 for the production of the report, the large sum being indicative of their satisfaction with his first publication.Allen says (1931, 1:vii) that funding after the Craven Fellowship was continued "by a grant which lasted till 1894." Whether this is the £500 mentioned above is not clear. Not only were these trips productive in terms of providing the young scholar with a wealth of palaeographical experience, but at the end of his travels, while in Florence, he would meet his future wife Miss Laura Hope. Following these labors he was awarded a
M.A. A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
in 1889 and elected Fellow of The Queen's College in 1890.Foster, J. (1887).
''Alumni Oxoniensis: The Members of the University of Oxford 1715–1886'', Vol. I, p. 18
London: Parker and Co.
Foster, J. (1893)
''Oxford Men 1880-1892'', p. 9
Oxford: James Parker.
Holland, A. W. (1904).
''The Oxford and Cambridge Yearbook, Pt. I. Oxford'', p. 347
London: Swan Sonnenschein.
As for the latter election, the Senior Tutor at the time wrote that it "was made without examination, a compliment which has never before been paid to anyone by this college. In the 1890s Allen focused his labours on what would be his life's work, the texts of
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
and the
Homeric Hymns The ''Homeric Hymns'' () are a collection of thirty-three ancient Greek hymns and one epigram. The hymns praise deities of the Greek pantheon and retell mythological stories, often involving a deity's birth, their acceptance among the gods ...
. During the latter part of the decade he began a working relationship with David B. Monro, a leading Homeric scholar and Provost of
Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is Colleges of the University of Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title for ...
.Allen contributed a small sketch of Monro as a scholar: "What distinguished Monro's Homeric work from that of other Englishmen of his generation was, in the first place, his knowledge of Comparative Grammar or Philology. When he began to write on Homer he was almost alone in this possession, and at his death there are few members of his own University who have a first-hand knowledge of Comparative Philology. ... In these matters his method was very much that of Aristarchus, who, so far as we can gather, did not admit a correction into the Vulgate of his day, unless diplomatic authority could be found for it. Monro, indeed, in many respects, resembled that most judicious of ancient critics. Besides this he was a great exegete, and had a sure knowledge both of Greek and of Homeric usage" (John Cook Wilson
''David Binning Monro: A Short Memoir''
xford: Clarendon Press, 1907 15-16). Allen also contributed a couple of paragraphs to Monro's revised entry on Homer for the 11th ed. of the ''Encyclopaedia Britannica''
17:626-39, at 631-32.
/ref> In 1896 Monro published his Homeric tex
''Homeri Opera et reliquiae''
which included the version of the Homeric Hymns that Allen had edited three years earlier. At the start of the next year, the Delegates of
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
announced "a standard and uniform series" of "
Oxford Classical Texts Oxford Classical Texts (OCT), or Scriptorum Classicorum Bibliotheca Oxoniensis, is a series of books published by Oxford University Press. It contains texts of ancient Greek and Latin literature, such as Homer's ''Odyssey'' and Virgil's ''Aeneid'' ...
", with the responsibility for Homer being assigned to Monro and Allen. The fruit of their collaboration would be published five years later, a two-volume edition of the ''Iliad'', ''Homeri Opera'' I-II (1902). During this decade Allen was struggling financially, and as a result was forced to delay his wedding four years until 1894. Even then, after they moved into their new residence at 6 Canterbury Road, his wife's aunt and sister took part of the house and contributed towards expenses. Allen twice applied for more remunerative positions, first for the chair of Humanity at the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
in 1891 and then for the chair of Greek at the
University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
in 1899, both of which he failed to obtain. Fortunately, he was appointed a visiting lecturer at
Royal Holloway College Royal Holloway, University of London (RH), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a member institution of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departmen ...
in 1893, a position he held until 1918, and which would bring in additional monies. In the first decades of the twentieth century Allen published his editions of Homeric texts. He brought out revised versions of his Oxford Classical Text of the ''
Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...
'' (2nd ed., 1908; 3rd ed. 1920), the ''
Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
'' (1st ed. 1908; 2nd ed. 1917/1919), and the
Homeric Hymns The ''Homeric Hymns'' () are a collection of thirty-three ancient Greek hymns and one epigram. The hymns praise deities of the Greek pantheon and retell mythological stories, often involving a deity's birth, their acceptance among the gods ...
(1912). He collaborated with E. E. Sikes, M.A., Fellow and Tutor of
St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...
, to bring out an edition of the Homeric Hymns (1904) with an English introduction and running commentary. He produced a similar edition (with commentary) of the
Catalogue of Ships The Catalogue of Ships (, ''neōn katálogos'') is an epic catalogue in Book 2 of Homer's ''Iliad'' (2.494–759), which lists the contingents of the Achaean army that sailed to Troy. The catalogue gives the names of the leaders of each conting ...
(1921), a catalogue in Book 2 of Homer's ''Iliad'' (2.494-759), which lists the contingents of the Achaean army that sailed to Troy. Finally, in 1931 he published his ''edito maior'' of the ''Iliad,'' a three-volume work, with the first volume containing solely introductory materials (in English). All of his editions of Homer were praised at the time and were the products of years of labour, but they have subsequently been criticized;
Nigel Wilson Nigel Wilson may refer to: * Nigel Wilson (baseball) (born 1970), Canadian baseball player * Nigel Wilson (businessman) Sir Nigel David Wilson (born 17 November 1956) is a British businessman. He was the group chief executive of Legal & Gener ...
has suggested that his "classification of the ''Iliad'' manuscripts was essentially flawed ... There is so much inaccuracy in what Allen states ... that one cannot trust him at all". Despite this criticism, they remain in print as the official Oxford edition. His only
monograph A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published a ...
was ''Homer: The Origins and the Transmission'' (1924), a collection of his more important articles, revised and augmented. In the preface he offers a frank assessment: "Time was when I intended to write a book on Homer, a continuous book which should cover the whole subject and solve the whole question—his age, personality, method, theme ... As time went on I was discouraged by the failure, so it seemed to me, of my contemporaries, English and foreign, and by the discovery of my own incapacity. I should like to put this last down to the drawbacks of the teaching profession (which are real) and the tutor's rusty pen. But I cannot conceal from myself that I might have overcome these obstacles had I been more of what literary people call in their own case a creative artist" (p. 5). He was elected a
Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (post-nominal letters FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in t ...
in 1922. Allen was a very conservative text critic. Two years after his publication of Goodwin's edition, he offered a "sequel" that was to provide the text-critical principles he had followed. He first characterizes the efforts of earlier editors: "The Greek classics have been read, studied, and edited for above four hundred years; the simple and easy corrections that the early editors, Greeks and Italians, made in their texts have been followed by the more learned but of necessity less and less certain attempts of Frenchmen, Dutchmen, Germans, English, who have provided every ancient writer with an accumulation of alternative readings which exceeds in bulk his own words." He then offers his own criteria for textual emendation: "To lay down the canons that determine a good emendation is not an easy task. I will content myself with stating one principle, not the only one, but that which is in most danger of being overlooked, namely, that no emendation is certain the passing of which into the actual documentary reading cannot be explained according to recognized graphical laws. If this condition be unfulfilled, not the most brilliant or witty substitute for the text can be accepted. The datum, the evidence given by the MSS., is that from which we start, and to which we come back; to depart therefrom is to compose, to rewrite the author, to write better than the author. We are tied by the document, and within the radius of graphical change about it lies the field for our invention."Allen really did not change his views on textual emendation, for in his last, posthumously-published piece concerning the text of
Theognis Theognis of Megara (, ''Théognis ho Megareús'') was a Greek lyric poet active in approximately the sixth century BC. The work attributed to him consists of gnomic poetry quite typical of the time, featuring ethical maxims and practical advice ...
he wrote: "Critics who had no conception of what a poet's thoughts and feelings are, what he puts into verse and how he puts it, have both misunderstood Theognis and made monstrous alterations in this text. He has been, like practically all Greek authors, the prey of insufferable busybodies, people who cannot leave well alone, and who, starting from a small knowledge of Greek and none of the world, have pawed our texts over till what we read is more German and Dutch than the language they profess" ("Theognis, ed. Diehl 1936". ''Revue de Philologie'' 76 (1950): 135-36).


Personal

Allen married Laura Charlotte Hope, the eldest daughter of
William Hope William Hope may refer to: * William Johnstone Hope (1766–1831), prominent and controversial British Royal Navy officer and politician * Sir William Hope, 14th Baronet (1819–1898), British Army officer * William Hope (VC) (1834–1909), Scottis ...
, a recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
for bravery during the
Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
, and his wife Margaret Graham. They were engaged on 27 February 1890, a couple of months after they had met in
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
, but would not marry until 1894. They had one child, a daughter, Charlotte Allen, born in 1896. Mrs. Allen would become a devoted member of the newly formed
Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices which are associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes in ...
movement, which had only begun to hold public services in London the year that Charlotte was born. It is not clear what T. W. Allen's religious beliefs were, but apparently he was never baptized, a neglect that apparently cost him a Studentship at
Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...
. Unfortunately, it was his wife's adherence to the tenets of the new healing faith from America that resulted in the great disaster of his life. In December 1919, twenty-three-year-old Charlotte became critically ill and died, the tragic result of following the rule to not seek medical help for illness.From 1898 till the start of World War I, there were a number of cases of "death by Christian Science," which came before coroners and sometimes went to court, though no practitioner was ever convicted. These cases were reported both in medical journals and the popular press. For details, see Claire F. Gartrell-Mills, "Christian Science: an American Religion in Britain, 1895 - 1940" (Ph.D. diss., Oxford, 1991), 210-30. One of the earliest notices in the
British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a fortnightly peer-reviewed medical journal, published by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, which in turn is wholly-owned by the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world ...
tried to sound a warning: "The occurrence in quick succession of two inquests on persons who have died under the so-called 'Christian Science' treatment, has probably made known to many people for the first time the existence in our midst of a system of quackery at once more foolish and more pernicious than any of the many follies and frauds which flourish in rank luxuriance on the 'eternal gullible' in man ... e fact that such a farrago of nonsense is taken seriously by people of education and intelligence almost makes us despair of human progress" ("Christian Science: What It Is," ''BMJ'
1898, vol. 2, 1515-16
.
It was a loss from which he never fully recovered. Laura Allen died on March 25, 1936, at Oxford. Her death notice ended: "Whom have I in heaven but thee: and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee" (Ps. 73:24, Coverdale trans.). Allen was old-fashioned in tutorials, but was the patron of a dining society, a lover of fine food and wine, and a much-respected and courteous member of college life. He died on 30 April 1950, at his home, 24 St Michael's Street, Oxford. His funeral was held at Queen's College Chapel on May 4, the service being conducted by the Rev. D. E. Nineham.


Works


Editions

* Corrections given in Allen, T. W. (1894). "''Hymni Homerici'' (ed. Goodwin, 1893)." ''The Academy'
Vol. 46, No. 1168, p. 218.
Allen also clarifies some of his editorial activity: "In Mr. Goodwin's edition ... the absence of a record of conjectures is to be taken to imply disapproval of them" (''JHS'' 15
895 __NOTOC__ Year 895 ( DCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * The Magyars are expelled from western Siberia, and settle in the Carpathian Basin, under the leadership of Árpád ( ...
137).
repared for the press by T. W. Allen from papers left by Goodwin.* omeric Hymns amended anew with brief notes by T. W. Allen.* *
2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 19083rd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1920.
* *
2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 19083rd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1920.
* *
2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1917.
* *
2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1919.
* ** Reprint with corr. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. * ** * Corrections and additional evidence given in Allen, T. W. (1924). ''Homer: The Origins and The Transmission'', 328-50. Oxford: Clarendon Press.


Books

* . * * * *


Notes and Articles

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "The Ancient Name of Gla." ''The Classical Review'
17 (1903): 239-40.
* * "Adversaria Graeca." ''The Classical Review'
19 (1905): 197-20020 (1906): 5-6.
* "Etymologica." ''The Classical Review'
19 (1905): 256-57.
* "Theognis." ''The Classical Review'
19 (1905): 386-95.
* "Μυρμιδόνων Πόλις." ''The Classical Review'
20 (1906): 193-201.
* "Varia Graeca." ''The Classical Review'
20 (1906): 290-91.
* "Varia Graeca." ''The Classical Quarterly'
2 (1908): 216-193 (1909): 285-88.
* "A New Orphic Papyrus." ''The Classical Review'
21 (1907): 97-100.
* "The Homeridae." ''The Classical Quarterly'
1 (1907): 135-43.
* "The Epic Cycle." ''The Classical Quarterly'
2 (1908): 64-742 (1908): 81-88.
* "Argos in Homer." ''The Classical Quarterly'
3 (1909): 81-98.
* "Dictys of Crete and Homer." ''The Journal of Philology'
31 (1910): 207-33.
* "The Text of the Odyssey." ''Papers of the British School at Rome'
5 (1910): 3–85.
* "The Homeric Catalogue." ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
30 (1910): 292-322.
* "Homerica. I. The Achaeans." ''The Classical Review'
25 (1911): 233-36.
* "Lives of Homer." ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
32 (1912): 250-6033 (1913): 19-26.
* "Pisistratus and Homer." ''The Classical Quarterly'
7 (1913): 33-51.
* "The Canonicity of Homer." ''The Classical Quarterly'
7 (1913): 221-33.
* "Homerica II. Additions to the Epic Cycle." ''The Classical Review'
27 (1913): 189-91.
* "Hymns (Greek and Roman)." In Hastings, James, ed. (1914)
''Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics'', 7:40-42.
Edinburgh: T & T Clark. * "MSS of Strabo at Paris and Eton." ''The Classical Quarterly'
9 (1915): 15-269 (1915): 86-96.
* "The Date of Hesiod." ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
35 (1915): 85-99.
* "The Origin of the Greek Minuscule Hand." ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
40 (1920): 1-12.
* "Three Greek Scribes." In ''Miscellanea Francesco Ehrle'' IV (Studi e testi 40), 22–33. Roma: 1924. * "Greek Abbreviation in the Fifteenth Century." ''Proceedings of the British Academy'' 12 (1926): 55-65 + 3 plates. * "Miscellanea." ''The Classical Quarterly'' 22 (1928): 73–76, 203–204; 23 (1929): 28–30; 24 (1930): 40–41, 188–190; 25 (1931): 23–26, 146–150; 26 (1932): 82–87; 27 (1933): 51–53, 200–2. * "The Homeric Scholia." ''Proceedings of the British Academy'' 17 (1931): 179–207. * "Theognis." ''Proceedings of the British Academy'' 20 (1934): 71–89. * "Adversaria." ''Revue de Philologie'' 60 (1934): 237–42; 62 (1936): 201–8; 63 (1937): 280–86; 65 (1939): 44–46; 72 (1946): 124-27 * "Theognis." ''Revue de Philologie'' 66 (1940): 211–14. * "Theognis, ed. Diehl 1933." ''Revue de Philologie'' 72 (1946): 128–30. * "Theognis, ed. Diehl 1936." ''Revue de Philologie'' 76 (1950): 135–45.


Reviews

* Review of Batiffol, ''L'Abbaye de Rossano.'' ''The Classical Review'
6 (1892): 454-57.
* Review of Gehring, ''Index Homericus.'' ''The Classical Review'
9 (1895): 415-18.
* Review of Puntoni, ''L'Inno Omerico a Demetra.'' ''The Classical Review'
10 (1896): 392-93.
* Review of Ludwich, ''Die homerische Batrachomachia.'' ''The Classical Review'
11 (1897): 165-67.
* Review of Zereteli, ''De Compendiis script. cod. graec. praecipue Petropolitanorum et Mosquensium.'' ''The Classical Review'
12 (1898): 57.
* Review of Ludwich, ''Die Homervulgata.'' ''The Classical Review'
13 (1899): 39-41.
* Review of Leaf, ''The Iliad.'' ''The Classical Review'
14 (1900): 360-62.
* Review of Grenfell and Hunt, ''Amherst Papyri,'' II. ''The Classical Review'
15 (1901): 425-26.
* Review of Ludwich, ''Homeri Carmina. Pars prior. Ilias.'' ''The Classical Review'
17 (1903): 5823 (1909): 17
* Review of Rzach, ''Hesiodi Carmina.'' ''The Classical Review'
17 (1903): 261-62
* Review of Gardthausen, ''Sammlungen und Cataloge griech. Handschriften.'' ''The Classical Review'
18 (1904): 177-78.
* Review of Hennings, ''Homers Odyssee.'' ''The Classical Review'
19 (1905): 359.
* Review of Blass, ''Die Interpolationen in der Odyssee.'' ''The Classical Review'
20 (1906): 267-71.
* Review of Champault, ''Phéniciens et Grecs en Italie d'après l'Odyssée.'' ''The Classical Review'
20 (1906): 470.
* Review of Lang, ''Homer and his Age.'' ''The Classical Review'
21 (1907): 16-19.
* Review of Martini and Bassi, ''Catalogus cod. graec. Bibl. Ambrosianae.'' ''The Classical Review'
21 (1907): 83-85.
* Review of Agar, ''Homerica.'' ''The Classical Quarterly'
3 (1909): 223-294 (1910); 206-8.
* Review of Fick, ''Die Enstehung der Odyssee.'' ''The Classical Review'
25 (1911): 20-22.
* Review of Mülder, ''Die Ilias und ihre Quellen.'' ''The Classical Review'
25 (1911): 114-15.
* Review of Gerhard, ''Veröffentlichungen aus der Heidelberger Papyrus-Sammlung. IV. I.'' ''The Classical Review'
25 (1911): 253-55.
* "Greek Palaeography and Textual Criticism." In Whibley, Leonard, ed. (1912)
''The Year's Work in Classical Studies, 1911'', 127-32.
London: John Murray. * "Greek Palaeography and Textual Criticism." In Whibley, Leonard, ed. (1913)
''The Year's Work in Classical Studies, 1912'', 115-22.
London: John Murray. * "Greek Palaeography and Textual Criticism." In Bailey, Cyril, ed. (1914)
''The Year's Work in Classical Studies, 1913'', 85-92.
London: John Murray. * Review of Leaf, ''Troy. A Study in Homeric Geography.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
33 (1913): 114-15.
* Review of Belzner, ''Homerische Probleme. II. Die Komposition der Odyssee.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
33 (1913): 116.
* Review of Drerup, ''Das Fünfte Buch der Ilias.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
33 (1913): 380.
* Review of Roemer, ''Aristarchs Athetesen in der Homerkritik.'' ''The Classical Review'
28 (1914): 141-42.
* Review of Smyth, ''The Composition of the Iliad.'' ''The Classical Review'
28 (1914): 230-31.
* Review of Bethe, ''Homer, Dichtung und Sage. I. Ilias.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
34 (1914): 334.
* Review of Thomson, ''Studies in the Odyssey.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
34 (1914): 335.
* "Greek Palaeography and Textual Criticism." In Bailey, Cyril, ed. (1915)
''The Year's Work in Classical Studies, 1914'', 45-50.
London: John Murray. * Review of Boudreaux, ''Le Texte d'Aristophane et ses Commentateurs.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
40 (1920): 231-32.
* "Greek Palaeography." In Gaselee, Stephen, ed. (1918)
''The Year's Work in Classical Studies, 1917'', 111-14.
London: John Murray. * Review of Cauer, ''Grundfragen der Homerkritik.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
41 (1921): 298.
* Review of Drerup, ed., ''Homerische Poetik, I. and III.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'
41 (1921): 298-99.
* "Greek Palaeography and Textual Criticism." In Robertson, D. S., ed. (1923). ''The Year's Work in Classical Studies, 1922-1923'', 65–68. Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith. * "Greek Palaeography and Textual Criticism." In Owen, S. G., ed. (1927). ''The Year's Work in Classical Studies, 1926-1927'', 69–74. Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith. * Review of Hurlbut, ''Selected Latin Vocabularies for Second-Year Reading.'' ''Classical Weekly'' 21 (1927): 111–12. * "Greek Palaeography." In Owen, S. G., ed. (1934). ''The Year's Work in Classical Studies, 1934'', 69–74. Bristol: J. W. Arrowsmith. * Review of Lake and Lake, ''Dated Greek Minuscule Manuscripts to the Year 1200, I-IV'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'' 56 (1936): 115–17. * Review of Spranger, ''Euripidis quae in codice Veneto Marciano 471.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'' 57 (1937): 109. * Review of Lake and Lake, ''Dated Greek Minuscule Manuscripts to the Year 1200, V.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'' 57 (1937): 109. * Review of Powell, ''A List of Printed Catalogues of Greek MSS in Italy.'' ''The Classical Review'' 51 (1937): 36–37. * Review of Spranger, ''Euripidis quae in codice Hierosolymitano rescripto Patriarchalis bibliothecae.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'' 58 (1938): 120. * Review of Drerup, ''Der homerische Apollonhymnos.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'' 58 (1938): 121, 293. * Review of Lake and Lake, ''Dated Greek Minuscule Manuscripts to the Year 1200, VII-IX.'' ''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'' 59 (1939): 178–79.


Notes


References


Likenesses

*
Thomas William Allen
', by
Walter Stoneman Walter Ernest Stoneman (6 April 1876 – 14 May 1958) was an English portrait photographer who is known for taking photographs for the National Portrait Gallery, London, National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in London. Career as a photographe ...
(bromide print, June 1939). Photographs Collection,
National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London that houses a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. When it opened in 1856, it was arguably the first national public gallery in the world th ...
(ref. no. NPG x163567). *
Thomas William Allen (1862–1950), Fellow (1890), Librarian
', by Edward Irvine Halliday (oil on canvas, 1930).
The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault, queen of England. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassi ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Thomas William 1862 births 1950 deaths English classical scholars English palaeographers Scholars of ancient Greek literature Classical scholars of the University of Oxford People from Camden Town Alumni of University College London Alumni of the Queen's College, Oxford Fellows of the Queen's College, Oxford Fellows of the British Academy