Sophocles’ Jebb

Book excerpt: Sir Richard Jebb (1841–1905) was the most celebrated classical scholar in late Victorian Britain: his edition of Sophocles, which remains a classic, brought him a knighthood. Professor of Greek at Cambridge from 1889, and MP for the University from 1891 until his death, Jebb became a national spokesman for the humanities. “Sophocles’ Jebb” charts his career through 275 newly discovered letters, presented here with introductions and full annotation. By allowing Jebb and his contemporaries to speak in their own words, it enables a significant reassessment of a key cultural figure of late Victorian Britain and sheds fresh light on public and academic debate of the time. The volume ends with a new, comprehensive list of Jebb’s publications.