Charles Anthon

Charles Anthon
Photo by Mathew Brady
Born	November 19, 1797(1797-11-19) New York City
Died	July 29, 1867(1867-07-29) (aged 69)
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Columbia College of Columbia University
Occupation	Classical scholar, professor, headmaster of the Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School

Charles Anthon (November 19, 1797, New York City – July 29, 1867) was an American classical scholar.

Life

After graduating with honors at Columbia College in 1815, he began the study of law, and in 1819 was admitted to the bar, but never practiced. In 1820 he was appointed assistant professor of Greek and Latin in his old college, full professor ten years later, and at the same time headmaster of the grammar school attached to the college, which post he held until 1864.

Works

He produced, for use in colleges and schools, a large number of classical works, which enjoyed great popularity, although his editions of classical authors were by no means in favor with schoolmasters, owing to the large amount of assistance, especially translations, contained in the notes. He also wrote A Manual of Greek Literature from the Earliest Authentic Periods to the Close of Byzantine Era providing a list of all Greek writers in that period, with a summary of their life and works and a bibliography of editions then in use. The overview is still useful today, but outdated. His intention to provide a similar volume for Latin Literature was never fulfilled.

Dr. Anthon's work was carried on by his successor, Henry Drisler.

Anthon Transcript

Main article: Anthon Transcript

Charles Anthon is famous among members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) because of his interactions with Martin Harris concerning a fragment of Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon. The fragment was later known as the Anthon Transcript. According to Harris, Anthon wrote Harris a letter of authenticity declaring the fragment to contain true Egyptian characters. Anthon was also reported to have confirmed the translation of these characters as correct. When informed that an angel of God had revealed the characters to Joseph Smith, Anthon tore up the authentication. Anthon later claimed that he recognized a hoax and never wrote a letter of authenticity.

Acquaintance with Poe

Dr. Anthon was a friend and correspondent of Edgar Allan Poe, who attempted to use the acquaintance with him to gain a national reputation in literature and journalism as well as publication in 1845 of Poe's collected stories through Harper and Brothers. This was, however, unsuccessful due to an accusation of plagiarism against Poe.

Publications

Reference and instructional works

• Charles Anthon, Elements of Latin Prosody and Metre, New York: Swords (1824). online
• A classical dictionary: containing a copious account of all the proper names mentioned in ancient authors etc., by J. Lemprière, D.D., 5th American edition, corrected and improved by Charles Anthon (1825). online
• Richard Valpy, The Elements of Greek Grammar, with additions by C. Anthon, 8th edition (1833). online
• Charles Anthon, A Grammar of the Greek Language (1838). online; revised and corrected by the Rev. J.R. Major, D.D., London: Thomas Tegg (1840). online
• Charles Anthon, A System of Greek Prosody and Metre: for the use of schools and colleges (1839). online; (1842) online
• Charles Anthon, A System of Latin Prosody and Metre, from the Best Authorities, Ancient and Modern, Harper and Brothers (1842).online
• Charles Anthon, First Greek lessons: containing all the inflexions of the Greek language, together with appropriate exercises in the translating and writing of Greek, for the use of beginners. Anthon's Greek Lessons, Part I (1842). online
• Charles Anthon, An Introduction to Greek Prose Composition. Anthon's Greek Lessons, Part II (1842). online
• Charles Anthon, First Latin Lessons, containing the most important parts of the grammar of the Latin language, together with appropriate exercises in the translating and writing of Latin, for the use of beginners. Anthon's Latin Grammar, Part I (1838). online, (1846 printing)
• Charles Anthon, An Introduction to Latin Prose Composition. Anthon's Latin Grammar, Part II (1842). online
• Charles Anthon, A Classical Dictionary, containing an account of the principal proper names mentioned in ancient authors, Harper and Brothers (1842). online
• A new abridgement of Ainsworth's dictionary: English and Latin, for the use of grammar schools, by John Dymock, LL.D., new American edition with corrections and improvements by Charles Anthon, Philadelphia: Butler & Williams (1844). online
• Charles Anthon, A System of Latin Versification, in a series of progressive exercises (1845). online
• A school dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities, abridged from the larger dictionary by William Smith, LL.D., with corrections and improvements by Charles Anthon, LL.D. (1846). online
• Charles Anthon, A system of ancient and mediæval geography for the use of schools and colleges (1850). online
• Charles Anthon, A Manual of Roman Antiquities, with numerous illustrations (1851). online
• Charles Anthon, A Manual of Grecian Antiquities, with numerous illustrations (1852). online
• Charles Anthon, A Manual of Greek Literature from the Earliest Authentic Periods to the Close of Byzantine Era (1853). online
• A copious and critical English-Latin lexicon, founded on the German-Latin dictionary of Dr. Charles Ernest Georges (de/it) by Joseph Esmond Riddle and Thomas Kerchever Arnold, first American edition, carefully revised, and containing a copious dictionary of proper names from the best sources, by Charles Anthon, LL.D., New York: Harper and Brothers (1856). online
• A Latin-English and English-Latin dictionary: for the use of schools, chiefly from the lexicons of Freund, Georges, and Kaltschmidt, by Charles Anthon (1859). online
• A School Grammar of the Latin Language by C.G. Zumpt, translated and adapted by Leonhard Schmitz, corrected and enlarged by Charles Anthon (1859). online
• A new classical dictionary of Greek and Roman biography, mythology and geography, partly based upon the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith, LL.D., revised, with numerous corrections and additions, by Charles Anthon, LL.D. (1862). online

School editions with commentary

• C. Crispi Sallusti opera, omissis fragmentis, omnia: ad optimorum exemplarium fidem recensita, animadversionibus illustravit P. Wilson, LL.D., 4th ed. recensuit notasque suas adspersit Charles Anthon, New York: Carvill (1825). online; Charles Anthon, C. Crispi Sallustii de Catilinae conjuratione belloque Jugurthino Historiae, New York: Carvill (1829) online; 4th ed., Boston (1833) online; Sallust's Jugurthine War and Conspiracy of Catiline, with an English Commentary, and Geographical and Historical Indexes, 6th ed., New York: Harper and Brothers (1837) online; 6th ed. (1838) online; 10th ed. (1854) online
• Charles Anthon, Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War; and The First Book of the Greek Paraphrase; with English Notes, Critical and Explanatory, Plans of Battles, Sieges, Etc., and Historical, Geographical, and Archaeological Indexes, Harper and Brothers (1838). online (1862 printing)
• Charles Anthon, Q. Horatii Flacci Poëmata, New York: Carvill (1830). online; The Works of Horace, with English Notes, Critical and Explanatory, Harper and Brothers (1839); new edition (1849) online (1857 printing)
• The Greek Reader, by Frederic Jacobs, new edition, with English notes, critical and explanatory, a metrical index to Homer and Anacreon, and a copious lexicon. By Charles Anthon. (1840). online
• Charles Anthon, The Aeneid of Virgil, with English Notes, Critical and Explanatory, a Metrical Clavis, an Historical, Geographical, and Mythological Index, Harper and Brothers (1843). online
• Charles Anthon, M. Tullii Ciceronis Orationes Selectae, ex recensione Jo. Aug. Ernesti., with an English commentary, London: Priestley (1837) online; new edition, London (1846) online; Select Orations of Cicero, with English Notes, Critical and Explanatory, new edition, New York: Harper and Brothers (1845). online; new edition (1849) online
• Charles Anthon, The De senectute, De amicitia, Paradoxa, and Somnium Scipionis of Cicero, and the Life of Atticus by Cornelius Nepos, with English Notes, Critical and Explanatory (1848). online
• Charles Anthon, The First Six Books of Homer's Iliad with English Notes, Critical and Explanatory, A Metrical Index, and Homeric Glossary, Harper and Brothers (1851). online; The first three books of Homer's Iliad, according to the ordinary text, and also with the restoration of the digamma, new edition by Benjamin Davies, London (1854) online
• Charles Anthon, The Anabasis of Xenophon, with English Notes, Critical and Explanatory, Harper and Brothers (1852). online
• Charles Anthon, Cornelius Nepos with Notes, Historical and Explanatory, Harper and Brothers (1852). online (1871 printing)
• Charles Anthon, The Germania and Agricola, and also Selections from the Annals, of Tacitus, with English Notes, Critical and Explanatory, (1847). online (1852 printing); (1853) online
• Charles Anthon, The Satires of Juvenal and Persius with English Notes Critical and Explanatory, from the Best Commentators, Harper and Brothers, (1857). online
• Hubert Ashton Holden, M.T. Ciceronis De Officiis libri tres, with marginal analysis and an English commentary, first American edition corrected and enlarged by Charles Anthon, (1859). online
• Charles Anthon, An English commentary on the Rhesus, Medea, Hippolytus, Alcestis, Heraclidae, Supplices, and Troades of Euripides (1877). online

References

•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Anthon, Charles". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links

• http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/anthonletter.htm
• Anti-Mormon view of Anthon's testimony regarding Mormonism
• Pro-Mormon view of Anthon's testimony regarding Mormonism
• http://www.mlloyd.org/gen/navarre/text/anthon.htm
• http://www.eapoe.org/misc/letters/t3706010.htm
• http://www.eapoe.org/works/letters/p4410000.htm
• http://www.eapoe.org/misc/letters/t4411020.htm

Persondata
Name	Anthon, Charles
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	November 19, 1797
Place of birth	New York City
Date of death	July 29, 1867
Place of death