Edith Hamilton
Edith Hamilton: A Life Dedicated to Classical Studies
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Edith Hamilton was born on August 12, 1867, in Dresden, Germany, as Eduardine Louise Hamilton. She later adopted the name Edith after her birthplace and family traditions.
Birth and Death Dates
August 12, 1867 – April 31, 1963
Nationality and Profession(s)
Edith Hamilton was a German-American historian, classicist, and author. Her nationality is often debated due to her birth in Germany and later adoption by American parents.
Early Life and Background
Edith's early life was marked by family tragedy when she lost both her mother and younger sister during an outbreak of cholera in Dresden, 1878. This loss had a profound impact on Edith, who found solace in her love for classical studies at the age of eight. Her father, a German-American merchant, encouraged her passion, recognizing its potential to bring stability and purpose.
Major Accomplishments
Edith's accomplishments are numerous, but some notable milestones include:
Graduating from Smith College with honors in 1887
Serving as a high school teacher and later as an administrator at the Girls' Latin School of Chicago (1895-1902)
* Traveling extensively throughout Europe to further her knowledge of classical antiquity
Notable Works or Actions
Edith's writing career began with _The Story of Mankind_ (1924), a pulitzer prize-winning history book that introduced the subject of world history in an accessible manner. However, it was her magnum opus, _Greece and Rome: A Short History_ (1948), which solidified her reputation as one of the leading authorities on classical studies.
Impact and Legacy
Edith's impact on classical education cannot be overstated. Her numerous works have been widely praised for their clarity, precision, and ability to make ancient history relatable. Throughout her long life, Edith Hamilton remained dedicated to promoting a deeper understanding of human culture and the significance of classical studies in modern society.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Edith's quotes, writings, and actions are widely quoted or remembered due to their thought-provoking insights into the importance of education, the value of cultural heritage, and her tireless efforts to preserve classical knowledge.
Quotes by Edith Hamilton
Edith Hamilton's insights on:
This idea the Greeks had of him is best summed up not by a poet, but by a philosopher, Plato: “Love – Eros – makes his home in men’s hearts, but not in every heart, for where there is hardness he departs. His greatest glory is that he cannot do wrong nor allow it; force never comes near him. For all men serve him of their own free will. And he whom Love touches not walks in darkness.
Very different conditions of life confronted them from those we face, but it is ever to be borne in mind that though the outside of human life changes much, the inside changes little, and the lesson-book we cannot graduate from is human experience.
The fundamental facts about the Greek was that he had to use his mind. The ancient priest had said, “Thus far and no farther. We set the limits of thought.” The Greeks said, All things are to be examined and called into question. There are no limits set on thought.
Tell him, too,” she said, “never to pluck flowers, and to think every bush may be a goddess in disguise.
I take courage,” Aeneas said. “Here too there are tears for things, and hearts are touched by the fate of all that is mortal.
A people’s literature is the great textbook for real knowledge of them. The writings of the day show the quality of the people as no historical reconstruction can.
THE Greeks did not believe that the gods created the universe. It was the other way about: the universe created the gods. Before there were gods heaven and earth had been formed. They were the first parents. The Titans were their children, and the gods were their grandchildren.
The spiritual world was not to them another world from the natural world. It was the same world as that known to the mind. Beauty and rationality were both manifested in it. They did not see the conclusions reached by the spirit and those reached by the mind as opposed to each other. Reason and feeling were not antagonistic. The truth of poetry and the truth of science were both true. It.
When she came into Venus’ presence the goddess laughed aloud and asked her scornfully if she was seeking a husband since the one she had had would have nothing to do with her because he had almost died of the burning wound she had given him.