author
J. C. (John Clarke) Stobart
1878–1933
A lively popularizer of the ancient world, he wrote books that helped generations of readers picture Greece and Rome as living cultures rather than dry school subjects. His career also reached beyond the classroom: he became the BBC’s first Director of Education.
2 Audiobooks
The Grandeur That Was Rome: a survey of Roman culture and civilisation
by J. C. (John Clarke) Stobart
The Glory That Was Greece: a survey of Hellenic culture and civilisation
by J. C. (John Clarke) Stobart
About the author
Born in Dorset on 5 March 1878, John Clarke Stobart was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He built his career as a classical scholar, later serving as a lecturer at Cambridge and as one of His Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools.
Stobart is best remembered for making classical history feel vivid and approachable. His best-known books include The Glory That Was Greece and The Grandeur That Was Rome, works that introduced many general readers to the art, literature, and everyday life of the ancient world.
He also played an important role in early broadcasting, becoming the BBC’s first Director of Education. Stobart died on 11 May 1933, but his books remain notable for their clear, enthusiastic way of bringing the classical past within reach of ordinary readers.