Richard Porson

Richard Porson (1759–1808) was an English classical scholar and textual critic whose Greek editions and scholarship shaped the study of ancient Greek literature.

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Textual criticism: The study of textual transmission and the methods used to establish or assess a text’s wording. Porson used textual criticism to improve and explain Greek editions.
Euripides: An ancient Greek tragedian whose surviving plays include Medea, Hippolytus, and Bacchae. Porson edited several plays by Euripides and became especially associated with their textual criticism.
Thomas Tyrwhitt: An English classical scholar and editor of Greek and Latin texts. Tyrwhitt supported Porson’s early scholarship and helped establish his academic reputation.
Porson’s law: A metrical rule governing the placement of word endings in the final part of certain Greek iambic trimeters. The rule named for Porson distilled his observations about tragic verse into a test for readings.
Ancient Greek: The language spoken and written in ancient Greece and the wider Greek-speaking world. His scholarship depended on exceptional command of Greek language and usage.
Hecuba: A tragedy by Euripides depicting the Trojan queen Hecuba after the fall of Troy. Porson’s 1797 edition of Hecuba established his reputation as a Greek textual critic.
Charles Burney: An English classical scholar and schoolmaster who collected books and corresponded with scholars. Burney’s friendship and library formed part of Porson’s scholarly world.
Greek New Testament: The body of Greek-language texts that make up the New Testament. Porson’s critical work on the Greek text influenced later discussions of textual evidence and editorial method.
Greek metre: The systems of patterned syllable length and rhythm used in Greek poetry. Porson’s metrical principles helped him assess proposed readings in tragic verse.
Orestes: A tragedy by Euripides about Orestes after his murder of Clytemnestra. Porson published a major edition of this play in 1798.