author
Martin P. (Martin Persson) Nilsson
1874–1967
A leading Swedish classicist, he spent decades exploring how Greek myths and religious traditions developed over time. His work brought together texts and archaeology in a way that helped shape modern study of the ancient Mediterranean.
1 Audiobook
Primitive Time-reckoning A study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples
by Martin P. (Martin Persson) Nilsson
About the author
Martin P. Nilsson was a Swedish philologist, mythographer, and historian of religion, born in Stoby on July 12, 1874, and died in Lund on April 7, 1967. He is best known for his scholarship on Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman religion, especially for tracing how ancient myths evolved across long stretches of history.
He studied at Lund University and went on to build most of his academic career there. After earning his doctorate in 1900, he later became professor of classical archaeology and ancient history, and eventually served as rector of the university from 1936 to 1939.
What made Nilsson especially influential was his habit of combining literary sources with archaeological evidence. That broad approach gave his books lasting importance for readers interested in Greek religion, myth, and the ancient world more generally.