Murray, Gilbert

Murray, Gilbert (George Gilbert Aimé Murray), 1866–1957, British classical scholar, b. Sydney, Australia. In 1908 Murray was appointed regius professor of Greek at Oxford. He is best known as a Greek scholar and especially as a translator of Greek drama. His translations were rendered in heroic rhymes to preserve the rhythm of the originals. Among his works are History of Ancient Greek Literature (1897), The Rise of the Greek Epic (1907), Euripides and His Age (1918), The Classical Tradition in Poetry (1927), and Hellenism and the Modern World (1953). Murray was active in the cause of world peace. He was chairman (1923–38) of the League of Nations Union and first president of the general council of the United Nations Association. He wrote several books about international politics, including Liberality and Civilization (1938).

Bibliography

See J. Smith and A. Toynbee, ed., Gilbert Murray: An Unfinished Autobiography (1960).