author
Archibald Bower
1686–1766
A Scottish historian with a dramatic, much-debated life, he is remembered as much for his shifting religious loyalties as for his ambitious histories of Rome and the popes. His story has the intrigue of a novel, but his books were serious works that found many readers in 18th-century Britain.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born near Dundee on 17 January 1686, Archibald Bower was educated at the Scots College in Douai and later in Rome, where he became connected with the Jesuits. He eventually settled in England and became known as a writer, translator, and religious controversialist.
Bower is best known for large historical works including The History of the Popes and a history of Rome. These books helped build his reputation as a learned historian, though his life outside the page was highly contentious.
What makes him especially memorable is the uncertainty surrounding his religious allegiance. Over time he was associated both with Catholic and Protestant circles, and later writers often treated his own accounts of his life with skepticism. He died on 3 September 1766, leaving behind a career marked by both scholarship and controversy.