Theodor Mommsen
Pioneering German classicist, historian, and jurist celebrated for his work on Rome.
Chronology: 1817-11-30 – 1903-11-01
Origins & Early Life
Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; German: [ˈteːodoːɐ̯ ˈmɔmzn̩] ; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19th century. He received the 1902 Nobel Prize in Literature for his historical writings, including The History of Rome, after having been nominated by 18 members of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. He was also a prominent German politician, as a member of the Prussian and German parliaments.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
His works on Roman law and on the law of obligations had a significant impact on the German civil code. == Life == Mommsen was born to German parents in Garding in the Duchy of Schleswig in 1817, then part of Denmark, and grew up in Bad Oldesloe in Holstein, where his father was a Lutheran minister. His parents were originally from Friesland. He had two brothers. He studied mostly at home, though he attended the Gymnasium Christianeum in Altona for four years.
Enduring Legacy & Impact
He studied Greek and Latin and received his diploma in 1837. As he could not afford to study at Göttingen, he enrolled at the University of Kiel. Mommsen studied jurisprudence at...
Source: Wikipedia