Martin P. (Martin Persson) Nilsson

author

Martin P. (Martin Persson) Nilsson

1874–1967

A leading interpreter of ancient Greek religion, this Swedish scholar brought myths, rituals, and archaeology together in ways that shaped classical studies for decades. His work is especially known for tracing how Greek belief developed over long stretches of history.

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

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

Born in 1874 in Stoby, Sweden, Martin P. Nilsson became one of the best-known classical scholars of the 20th century. He focused on Greek religion, mythology, and the ancient Mediterranean world, and he was especially interested in how literary traditions and archaeological evidence could be read together.

Nilsson taught at Lund University and produced a large body of influential scholarship. Readers still turn to him for major studies of Greek religion, Minoan-Mycenaean religion, and the history of Greek myth, where his broad historical approach helped connect prehistoric cultures with later classical traditions.

He died in 1967 in Lund. Even when some of his conclusions are debated today, his books remain important for anyone interested in how ancient religion and myth were studied in modern scholarship.