Philip Vellacott

Philip Vellacott

Philip Humphrey Vellacott (16 January 1907 – 24 August 1997) was an English classical scholar, known for his numerous translations of Greek tragedy.

He was educated at St Paul's School, London and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he took a double first in the Classics Tripos.

During the 1930s, he taught at Liverpool University, and schools including Alleyn's College, Dulwich. He remained as a teacher during the Second World War, as he was a conscientious objector. It was during his time as a teacher that he completed most of his Penguin Books Classical translations. He retired in 1967.

The artist Elisabeth Vellacott was his sister.

Works, other than translations

  • Writing in Latin (1970) with D. P. Simpson
  • Sophocles and Oedipus: A Study of Oedipus Tyrannus with a New Translation (1971)
  • Ironic drama. A study of Euripides' method and meaning (1975)
  • Logic of Tragedy: Morals and Integrity in Aeschylus' Oresteia (1984)

References

Obituary - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-philip-vellacott-1237210.html