Recent from talks
E. A. Thompson
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
E. A. Thompson
Edward Arthur Thompson FBA (22 May 1914 – 1 January 1994) was an Irish-born British Marxist historian of classics and medieval studies. He was professor and director of the classics department at the University of Nottingham from 1948 to 1979, and a fellow of the British Academy. Thompson was a pioneer in the study of late antiquity, and was for decades the most prominent British scholar in this field. He was particularly interested in the relations between Ancient Rome and "barbarian" peoples such as the Huns and Visigoths, and has been credited with revitalizing English-language scholarship on the history of early Germanic peoples. Thompson's works on these subjects have been highly influential.
Edward Arthur Thompson was born on 22 May 1914 in the town of Waterford, Ireland, to a strictly Presbyterian family. His father, Robert James Thompson, who was of Irish descent, was the son of a weaver and worked for the National Health Insurance. His mother, Margaret Murison, was of Scottish descent. Her parents had settled in Ireland when her father became the manager of the estate of the Earl of Ormond in County Kilkenny. Thompson's family moved to Dublin in 1922. Having graduated from The High School, Dublin, Thompson entered Trinity College, Dublin, with a sizarship, a distinction he shared with Jonathan Swift. He was the first of his family to enter university. His father had probably intended for him to become a Presbyterian minister, but Thompson would come to reject the religious puritanism of his family. Thompson graduated with first-class honours in classics from Trinity College in 1936, later attributing his selection of the classics as a discipline to the choice of his headmaster at The High School. His BLitt on the Arcadian League was supervised by H. W. Parker.
From 1937 to 1938, Thompson was an exchange student in Berlin. While in Germany, being a communist himself, Thompson developed an intense dislike for Nazism. He claimed to have witnessed the smashing of a jeweler's shop and the beating of its proprietor by a Nazi mob. He said that these experiences had a major influence on his future cautious approach to the study of Germanic peoples, which was to characterize his approach to this subject.
Thompson was appointed a lecturer in classics at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1939. Although initially appointed for one year, Thompson's contract was renewed, and he stayed on (though at a reduced salary) until 1941.
Already prepared to enter the Second World War with an enlistment in the British Army, Thompson secured an appointment at the University of Swansea in 1941 through the help of his friend Benjamin Farrington. From Swansea, Thompson transferred to King's College, London, teaching as a classics lecturer from 1945 to 1948. At Swansea, Thompson became a close friend of fellow historian Norman H. Baynes. His first book, Ammianus Marcellinus (1947), played a major role in reviving the study of late antiquity in the United Kingdom. His next book, A History of Attila and the Huns (1948), was inspired by his work on Ammianus Marcellinus. Both of these works were later reprinted and remained standard works on the subject for several decades. From the late 1940s, Thompson dedicated all his scholarly interest towards to late antiquity.
Thompson moved again in 1948 – this time to direct the classics department at the University of Nottingham, where he worked from 1948 to 1979. During this time, Thompson was along with A. H. M. Jones a major figure in reviving the study of late antiquity in the United Kingdom. He was considered the leading scholar in the United Kingdom in the field, with the University of Nottinhgham emerging as one of its principal centers of study. At Nottingham, Thompson focused mainly on research and teaching rather than administrative work. Distinguished members of his department at this time included Harold Mattingly, W. Charlmers, G. R. Watson, Mollie Whittaker, A. H. Sommerstein and J. W. Rich.
In 1951, perhaps inspired by Farrington, Thompson published the book A Roman Reformer and Inventor, which examined the anonymous author of the De rebus bellicis. Thompson's book helped build the foundations for modern studies on this work.
By the early 1950s, Thompson's research was increasingly focused on the early Germanic peoples. At this time, very little research had been carried out in this field in the English-speaking world. Thompson sought to approach the subject without ideological ballast. Nevertheless, his revulsion towards Nazism probably influenced his research of this field. His works were pioneering in the field of Germanic studies, in which he was the leading scholar of his generation. He helped detach the field from the ideological bias which had characterized it in the past.
Hub AI
E. A. Thompson AI simulator
(@E. A. Thompson_simulator)
E. A. Thompson
Edward Arthur Thompson FBA (22 May 1914 – 1 January 1994) was an Irish-born British Marxist historian of classics and medieval studies. He was professor and director of the classics department at the University of Nottingham from 1948 to 1979, and a fellow of the British Academy. Thompson was a pioneer in the study of late antiquity, and was for decades the most prominent British scholar in this field. He was particularly interested in the relations between Ancient Rome and "barbarian" peoples such as the Huns and Visigoths, and has been credited with revitalizing English-language scholarship on the history of early Germanic peoples. Thompson's works on these subjects have been highly influential.
Edward Arthur Thompson was born on 22 May 1914 in the town of Waterford, Ireland, to a strictly Presbyterian family. His father, Robert James Thompson, who was of Irish descent, was the son of a weaver and worked for the National Health Insurance. His mother, Margaret Murison, was of Scottish descent. Her parents had settled in Ireland when her father became the manager of the estate of the Earl of Ormond in County Kilkenny. Thompson's family moved to Dublin in 1922. Having graduated from The High School, Dublin, Thompson entered Trinity College, Dublin, with a sizarship, a distinction he shared with Jonathan Swift. He was the first of his family to enter university. His father had probably intended for him to become a Presbyterian minister, but Thompson would come to reject the religious puritanism of his family. Thompson graduated with first-class honours in classics from Trinity College in 1936, later attributing his selection of the classics as a discipline to the choice of his headmaster at The High School. His BLitt on the Arcadian League was supervised by H. W. Parker.
From 1937 to 1938, Thompson was an exchange student in Berlin. While in Germany, being a communist himself, Thompson developed an intense dislike for Nazism. He claimed to have witnessed the smashing of a jeweler's shop and the beating of its proprietor by a Nazi mob. He said that these experiences had a major influence on his future cautious approach to the study of Germanic peoples, which was to characterize his approach to this subject.
Thompson was appointed a lecturer in classics at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1939. Although initially appointed for one year, Thompson's contract was renewed, and he stayed on (though at a reduced salary) until 1941.
Already prepared to enter the Second World War with an enlistment in the British Army, Thompson secured an appointment at the University of Swansea in 1941 through the help of his friend Benjamin Farrington. From Swansea, Thompson transferred to King's College, London, teaching as a classics lecturer from 1945 to 1948. At Swansea, Thompson became a close friend of fellow historian Norman H. Baynes. His first book, Ammianus Marcellinus (1947), played a major role in reviving the study of late antiquity in the United Kingdom. His next book, A History of Attila and the Huns (1948), was inspired by his work on Ammianus Marcellinus. Both of these works were later reprinted and remained standard works on the subject for several decades. From the late 1940s, Thompson dedicated all his scholarly interest towards to late antiquity.
Thompson moved again in 1948 – this time to direct the classics department at the University of Nottingham, where he worked from 1948 to 1979. During this time, Thompson was along with A. H. M. Jones a major figure in reviving the study of late antiquity in the United Kingdom. He was considered the leading scholar in the United Kingdom in the field, with the University of Nottinhgham emerging as one of its principal centers of study. At Nottingham, Thompson focused mainly on research and teaching rather than administrative work. Distinguished members of his department at this time included Harold Mattingly, W. Charlmers, G. R. Watson, Mollie Whittaker, A. H. Sommerstein and J. W. Rich.
In 1951, perhaps inspired by Farrington, Thompson published the book A Roman Reformer and Inventor, which examined the anonymous author of the De rebus bellicis. Thompson's book helped build the foundations for modern studies on this work.
By the early 1950s, Thompson's research was increasingly focused on the early Germanic peoples. At this time, very little research had been carried out in this field in the English-speaking world. Thompson sought to approach the subject without ideological ballast. Nevertheless, his revulsion towards Nazism probably influenced his research of this field. His works were pioneering in the field of Germanic studies, in which he was the leading scholar of his generation. He helped detach the field from the ideological bias which had characterized it in the past.