author
Jesse Benedict Carter
1872–1917
A gifted American classicist, he wrote vividly about Roman religion and helped open ancient history to general readers. His career was cut short in 1917 while serving in Italy during World War I.
1 Audiobook
The Religion of Numa And Other Essays on the Religion of Ancient Rome
by Jesse Benedict Carter
About the author
Born in New York City in 1872, Jesse Benedict Carter became an American scholar of classical philology and Roman religion. He studied at New York University and later in Berlin, then went on to teach and write about the religious life, history, and topography of ancient Rome.
Carter is best known for books including The Religion of Numa and The Religious Life of Ancient Rome. His work focused on how Roman belief and ritual developed over time, and he had a talent for presenting serious scholarship in a way that interested non-specialist readers as well as students.
He also served as director of the American Academy in Rome. In 1917, while involved in relief work in Italy during World War I, he died of heatstroke at the age of 45, leaving behind a body of work still valued by readers interested in the ancient world.