Alfred Brittain

An Episcopal clergyman who served in New Jersey and New York, he is best remembered today for historical works written for general readers as well as students. His surviving books show a clear fascination with how women lived, were judged, and shaped society in the ancient world.

Among his best-known works are Roman Women and Women of Early Christianity, the latter written with Mitchell Carroll. In these books, he explores social customs, religion, and biography together, using individual lives to open up bigger questions about Rome and the early church.

Though not a household name now, his writing still has value for listeners who enjoy older popular history: thoughtful, readable, and shaped by both scholarly curiosity and a pastor's interest in moral and cultural change.