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New Open Access Monograph Series: History of Classical Scholarship Supplementary Volumes
History of Classical Scholarship Supplementary Volumes
ISBN 978-1-8380018-0-3
Ronald Syme’s first published monograph, The Roman Revolution,
appeared on 7th September 1939, just after World War II began. Over
eighty years later it remains a classic. After Syme’s death in 1989 his
Literary Executor Fergus Millar suggested to the Editor that to publish a
selection of letters that Syme received up to 1939, especially those
from foreign scholars, would be welcome. Syme never wrote memoirs and
not many of his own letters are extant. However, he kept hundreds from
other people. Apart from purely private ones or congratulations on his
honours, many throw light on his development as an historian, on his
travels and his contacts with other scholars. This selection includes
over ninety letters from thirty-four correspondents and a handful of
Syme’s own. The earliest reflect the initial stages of Syme’s Oxford
career, from graduation in 1927 to election as Fellow of Trinity College
in 1929. Those from his Oriel ancient history tutor M.N. Tod and from
H. Last show both concerned to foster his progress. As early as 1927
Syme began to contact continental scholars. Spending a few months in
Germany in 1928, he met Ernst Fabricius at Freiburg, stayed at the
Römisch-Germanische Kommission in Frankfurt, and soon after that went to
the British School at Rome. He regularly sent out offprints of articles
and kept the replies from the recipients. Those from the later 1930s,
especially from Andrew Alföldi, Arthur Stein, Friedrich Münzer and
Hermann Strasburger, reflect in different ways the looming crisis in
Europe. In the Introduction the Editor provides the context for the
letters, which are all annotated, and offers some new sidelights on
Syme’s biography. He mentions certain letters excluded from this
selection and as a postscript adds a few more with post-1939 reactions
to The Roman Revolution. Finally, there are two Appendices,
both annotated: the first reprints an Interview given by Syme at Chapel
Hill, N. Carolina in 1962, the second reproduces Syme’s own ‘notes’ for
four retrospective talks.
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