- Listenly
- Public Library
- All Authors
- John Lemprière
author
John Lemprière
d. 1824
Best remembered for a hugely popular guide to the names, myths, and histories of the ancient world, this Jersey-born scholar helped generations of readers find their way through Greek and Roman literature. He was also a schoolmaster and clergyman whose reference books stayed in use long after his death in 1824.
1 Audiobook
A classical dictionary
by John Lemprière
About the author
Born in Jersey around 1765, John Lemprière was educated at Winchester College and Pembroke College, Oxford. He became known as a classical scholar, teacher, and clergyman, building a career in schools before going on to lead Abingdon Grammar School.
His fame rests above all on Bibliotheca Classica, usually called Lemprière's Classical Dictionary, first published in 1788. The book gathered together the people, places, and stories found in ancient authors, and for many years it was a familiar companion for students and general readers exploring classical mythology and history.
Alongside his school and church work, he also published A Universal Biography of Eminent Persons in all Ages and Countries in 1808. Though later scholars have treated some of his work with caution, his dictionary remained widely read and helped fix his name in literary culture.