Greek Epigraphic Society Honours Professor Emeritus John Traill

June 26, 2023 by Department of Classics

Professor Emeritus in the Department of Classics John Traill was honoured at an international symposium held by the Greek Epigraphic Society in Athens on April 28th and 29th. The two day conference featured talks by many prominent international scholars speaking on Greek epigraphy and Prof. Traill's contribution to its study. 

Founded in 1985, the Greek Epigraphic Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit and worldwide study of Ancient Greek inscriptions. 

The symposium program can be found below.

PDF iconGreek Epigraphic Society 2023 Symposium Program

These conferences are a prestigious honour for individuals working on Greek and Attic epigraphy and their lifetime achievements, and the following citation by Angelos Matthaiou and Nassos Themos was read out at the event. A rough machine-generated translation of the citation follows the original text. Congratulations, John, on this wonderful achievement!

Ἄ. Π. Ματθαίου

Ἀθ. Ἀλ. Θέμος

28.4.23

Χαιρετισμὸς στὸν καθηγητὴ John Traill

Οἱ ἐπιγραφικοὶ οἱ ἐνδιατρίβοντες στὴν μελέτη τῶν Ἀττικῶν ἐπιγραφῶν καὶ οἱ

 σχολούμενοι μὲ τὴν Ἀττικὴ Τοπογραφία  νατρέχουν συχνότατα στὰ ἔργα τοῦ

τιμωμένου μας, σεβαστοῦ καθηγητοῦ Traill, τόσο στὸ The Athenian Councillors ποὺ

συνέγραψε  πὸ κοινοῦ μὲ τὸν μέντορά του, Benjamin Dean Meritt, τὸν  ρχηγέτη τῶν

Ἀττικῶν ἐπιγραφικῶν σπουδῶν στὴν ᾽Αμερική, ὅσο καὶ στὰ δύο προσωπικὰ του

ἔργα, τὸ opus magnus του, Persons of Ancient Athens, καὶ στὸν  παραίτητο ὁδηγὸ καὶ

παραστάτη τῶν τοπογραφούντων  ρχαιολόγων, μεταξὺ αὐτῶν μάλιστα τῶν

Ἑλλήνων· λέγω τὴν μελέτη του The Political Organization of Attica. Καὶ τὰ τρία εἶναι

ἔργα  ναφορᾶς καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὧν οὐκ ἄνευ γιὰ τοὺς μελετητὲς τῶν Ἀττικῶν πραγμάτων.

Ὁ Traill εὐτύχησε στὰ πρῶτα ἐπιστημονικὰ βήματά του νὰ ἔχη σπουδαίους

καθοδηγητὲς στὸν σκολιό, μακρὸ καὶ  νάντη δρόμο τῶν Ἀττικῶν ἐπιγραφῶν καὶ τῆς

Ἀττικῆς τοπογραφίας. Στὸ Harvard, ὅπου ἔκανε τὶς μεταπτυχιακές του σπουδὲς εἶχε

καθηγητὴ τὸν Sterling Dow. Στὴν Ἀθήνα ὡς φοιτητὴς τῆς Ἀμερικανικῆς Σχολῆς εἶχε

δάσκαλο τὸν Εὐγενιο Vanderpool. Ἀπὸ ἐκεῖνον, ὅπως καὶ  ρκετοὶ ἄλλοι νεαροὶ

Ἀμερικανοὶ καὶ Καναδοί σπουδαστές, νέοι φανατικοὶ γιὰ γράμματα, ἐγνώρισε τὴν

Ἑλλάδα καὶ ἔμαθε νὰ  γαπᾶ καὶ νὰ σέβεται τὸν τόπο καὶ τὸν Ἑλληνικό τρόπο. Σὲ

ἐκεῖνον ὀφείλει τὴν γνωριμία καὶ τὴν καθοδήγηση στὴν Ἀττικὴ τοπογραφία. Ἀπὸ τὸν

Vanderpool ἔμαθε νὰ  γαπᾶ τὶς λαϊκὲς ταβέρνες καὶ τὸν πότον, μάλιστα τὴν ρετσίναØ

στὴν «Ἤπειρο» καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ζυθεστιατόρια καὶ ταβερνεῖα τῆς περιοχῆς πλησίον τῆς

 ρχαίας Ἀγορᾶς ἦσαν μόνιμοι θαμῶνες οἱ μαθητὲς τοῦ Vanderpool, ὁ Geagan, ὁ

Threatte, ὁ Langdon, ὁ σημερινὸς τιμώμενός μας John Traill, καὶ ἄλλοι διαλεκτοὶ καὶ

φερέλπιδες νέοι ἐρευνητές. Ἴσως δὲν ἔτυχε νὰ ἔχουν διαβάσει, ἄλλα  σφαλῶς

πάμπολλες φορὲς εἶχαν νοιώσει πίνοντας τοὺς εὐφρόσυνους λόγους τοῦ κυρ

᾽Αλέξανδρου Παπαδιαμάντη:

ἦτο ὠραῖον ρετσινᾶτον, ὄλο ἄρωμα καὶ πτῆσις καῖ  φρός.

Ὁ τρίτος του δάσκαλος, μέντωρ καὶ μεγάλος φίλος ὑπῆρξε ὁ Meritt. Σὲ αὐτὸν

ὀφείλει τὴν συστηματικὴ ἐνασχόληση τόσο μὲ τοὺς βουλευτικοὺς καὶ πρυτανικοὺς

καταλόγους, ὅσο καὶ μὲ τὴν Ἀττικὴ προσωπογραφία. Ὁ δάσκαλος ἐμπιστεύθηκε τὸν

ἄξιο μαθητὴ καὶ ὑπῆρξε γενναιόδωρος. Καὶ νέες ἐπιγραφὲς τοῦ παρεχώρησε νὰ

δημοσιεύση καὶ τοῦ  νέθεσε τὴν συνέχιση τῆς Ἀττικῆς Προσωπογραφίας. Τὸ σχέδιό

του νὰ ἑτοιμάση νέα βελτιωμένη ἔκδοση τοῦ μνημειώδους ἔργου τοῦ Kirchner, τῆς

Prosopographia Attica, εἶχε  πὸ πολλῶν ἐτῶν βάλει σὲ ἐφαρμογὴ ὁ Meritt καὶ πέραν

τῆς προσωπικῆς του ἐργασίας  νέθετε κατὰ καιροὺς τὴν σύνταξη δελτίων σὲ

νεώτερους συνεργάτες του, τὸν Kentrick Pritchett, τὸν Tony Raubitschek τὴν Daphne

Hareward καὶ ὀλίγους ἄλλους, κυριώτατα ὅμως στὸν ἐξαίρετο Ἕλληνα ἐπιγραφικὸ

Γεώργιο Σταμίρη, ποὺ ὑπῆρξε βοηθὸς καὶ στενὸς συνεργάτης τοῦ Meritt στὸ Institute

for Advanced Study ἐπὶ 13 συναπτὰ ἔτη,  πὸ τὸ 1948 ἕως τὸ 1961. Ἡ ἐμπιστοσύνη ποὺ

ἔδειξε ὁ Meritt στὸν Traill δὲν διεψεύσθη. Ἐκτὸς τῆς δημοσιεύσεως βουλευτικῶν

καταλόγων στὸ περιοδικὸ Hesperia καὶ τῆς συνδημοσιεύσεως μαζὶ μὲ τὸν δάσκαλο

τῶν Athenian Councillors στὴν σειρὰ τῶν μπλὲ τόμων τῆς Ἀρχαίας Ἀγορᾶς, ὁ Traill

 φιέρωθηκε στὴν σύνταξη σὲ εὐρύτερη πλέον βάση, καὶ μὲ τὴν χρήση τῆς

τεχνολογίας καὶ τῶν δυνοτήτων τῶν ὑπολογιστῶν, τῆς προσωπογραφίας ποὺ τώρα

θὰ περιελάμβανε ἐκτὸς τῶν Ἀθηναίων πολιτῶν καὶ τῶν γυναικῶν, τοὺς ξένους,

μόνιμους καὶ περιστασιακοὺς κατοίκους τῶν Ἀθηνῶν καὶ τοὺς δούλους. Ἡ σύνταξις

τοῦ τιτάνιου αὐτοῦ ἔργου, ἔργου ζωῆς τοῦ Traill, στὸ ὁποῖο συνέβαλε μεγάλως καὶ ἡ

οἰκογένειά του, ἐκράτησε πλέον τῶν τριανταπέντε ἐτῶν. ῾Ο πρῶτος τόμος τῶν

Persons of Ancient Athens δημοσιεύθηκε τὸ 1994 καὶ ὁ 21ος, ὁ τελευταῖος, τὸ 2012.

Ἀλλὰ ὁ γεραρὸς γέρων δὲν  φήνει τὸ  γαπημένο πνευματικό του τέκνο. Ἐξέδωσε

δύο  κόμη τόμους, μὲ Προσθετέα καὶ Διορθωτέα· τὸν τελευταῖο τὸ 2021. Εἶμαι δὲ

βέβαιος ὅτι θὰ ἑτοιμάζη καὶ τρίτον, καὶ οἱ  νακοινώσεις τοῦ Συμποσίου  σφαλῶς θὰ

τοῦ προσφέρουν νέο καὶ  ρκετὸ ὑλικὸ γιὰ τὰ Addenda et Corrigenda του.

῾Η δημοσίευσις καταλόγων βουλευτῶν καὶ πρυτάνεων καὶ ἡ σύνταξις τοῦ opus

magnum, τῶν Persons of Ancient Athens, ἐπέβαλλε νὰ ἔρχεται στὴν Ἑλλάδα συχνά, γιὰ

νὰ μελετᾶ τόσο στὴν  ρχαία Ἀγορά, στὴν  ποθήκη τῆς Στοᾶς Ἀττάλου, ὅσο καὶ στὸ

Ἐπιγραφικὸ Μουσεῖο, ὥστε ἐξ αὐτοψίας νὰ συλλέγη τὰ νέα ὀνόματα καὶ κατὰ

περίπτωσιν νὰ ἐλεγχη τὶς παλαιὲς  ναγνώσεις. Ἡ προηγηθεῖσα διδασκαλία, ἡ

συναναστροφὴ μὲ τὸν Εὐγένιο Vanderpool, τὰ συχνὰ ταξίδια, ἡ παραμονή, καὶ τὸ

 ντικείμενο τῆς σπουδῆς ὑπῆρξαν καθοριστικὰ γιὰ τὴν στενὴ καὶ  γαπητικὴ σχέση

τοῦ Traill μὲ τὸν τόπο καὶ τοὺς  νθρώπους.

Ἡ πατρίδα καὶ οἱ Ἕλληνες ὁμότεχνοι ὀφείλουν στὸν Traill πολλά, διότι  γάπησε

τὴν Ἑλλαδα, ἔμαθε τὴν νέα Ἑλληνικὴ καὶ ἐπιδιώκει πάντοτε νὰ τὴν ὁμιλεῖ. ᾽Ανήκει

στὴν παλαιά, ἐκλείπουσα πλέον, γενεὰ τῶν Ἀμερικανῶν καὶ Καναδῶν Ἑλληνιστῶν

ποὺ θεωροῦν ὅτι ὁ Ἑλληνικὸς πολιτισμός,  ρχαῖος, μεσαιωνικὸς καὶ νεώτερος,

συνιστοῦν  διάσπαστη συνέχεια καὶ ἑνότητα καὶ ὅτι ἡ γνώση τοῦ νεοῦ Ἑλληνισμοῦ

συμβάλλει  ποφασιστικὰ στὴν κατανόηση τοῦ  ρχαίου ῾Ελληνικοῦ κόσμου.

Εἶναι  πὸ τοὺς ἐλάχιστους, –καὶ τώρα μὲ τὸν θάνατο τοῦ David Jordan, τοῦ Leslie

Threatte καὶ τοῦ Ron Stroud, ὁ κύκλος ἐμίκρυνε  κόμη περισσότερο–, ποὺ ἐξ ἐπιλογῆς

συναναστρέφεται καὶ ἔχει σταθερὲς φιλίες μὲ Ἕλληνες, ταξιδεύει στὴν ὕπαιθρο,

περπατᾶ, καὶ  πολαμβάνει τὴν καλὴ παρέα καὶ τὸ κρασὶ στὰ λίγα ἐναπομείναντα

παλαιὰ ταβερνεῖα.

Ἡ Ἑλληνικὴ Ἐπιγραφικὴ Ἑταιρεία ἔχει παλαιὰ σχέση μὲ τὸν τιμώμενο, καὶ μερικὰ

μέλη της, μεταξύ των καὶ ὁ ὁμιλῶν συνδέονται μαζί του μὲ μακρὰ φιλία. Καὶ ἡ φιλία

του μᾶς τιμᾶ. Ὑπῆρξε, καὶ παραμένει, ὁ Traill σταθερὸς ὑποστηρικτὴς καὶ κήρυκας

τοῦ ἔργου τῆς Ἑταιρείας καὶ, ὅποτε τοῦ ἐζητήθη, προσέφερε, καὶ συνεχίζει νὰ

προσφέρη,  φειδῶς τὶς γνώσεις καὶ τὴν πεῖρα του στὰ μέλη της.

Τὸ δὲ Ἐπιγραφικὸ Μουσεῖο, ποὺ στεγάζει τὴν σημερινὴ ἐκδήλωση πρὸς τιμήν του

ὑπῆρξε καὶ γιὰ τὸν Τrail, ὅπως καὶ γιὰ πολλοὺς  κόμη ἐπιγραφικούς, μάλιστα

Ἀττικούς, home sweet home, γιὰ νὰ ἐπαναλάβω τὴν θερμὴ φράση τῆς Lillian Jeffery.

Σεβαστὲ καθηγητὰ Traill, φίλτατε Ἰωάννη

Ἡ  πόφασις τοῦ Ἐπιγραφικοῦ Μουσείου καὶ τῆς Ἑταιρεία μας νὰ ὀργανώσωμε

καὶ νὰ Σᾶς  φιερώσωμε, –ἐπ᾽ εὐκαιρίᾳ τοῦ ταξιδιοῦ σας μετὰ  πὸ τέσσερα ἔτη–, τὸ

Ἀττικὸ Ἐπιγραφικὸ καὶ Τοπογραφικὸ Συμπόσιο, εἶναι ἐλάχιστο δεῖγμα τιμῆς καὶ

μικρὸ  ντίδωρο γιὰ τὴν γενναία συνεισφορά Σας καὶ τὴν μεγάλη συμβολὴ Σας στὴν

μελέτη τῶν Ἀττικῶν ἐπιγραφῶν, τῆς Προσωπογραφίας καὶ τῆς Ἀττικῆς Τοπογραφίας,

 λλὰ καὶ ἔνδειξη τῆς βαθείας εὐγνωμοσύνης γιὰ τὴν σταθερή, εἰλικρινῆ Σας  γάπη

και μακρὰ σχέση μὲ τὸν τόπο καὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνες.

Εἰς ἔτη πολλά.

Χαίροις ἡμῖν, φίλε Ἀττικέ

 

April 28, 2023

 

A. P. Matthaiou

Ath. Al. Themos

 

Greetings to Professor John Traill

Epigraphists who are interested in the study of Attic inscriptions and those dealing with

Attic topography often consult the works of our honored, respected Professor Traill, both in The

Athenian Councillors which he co-authored with his mentor, Benjamin Dean Meritt, the Attic

leader of epigraphic studies in America, as well as the two works he did on his own, his opus

magnum, Persons of Ancient Athens, and the indispensable guide and assistant of topographical

archaeologists, among them especially the Greeks, I speak of his study of The Political Organization

of Attica. All three are works of reference indispensable for students of Attic antiquity.

Traill was fortunate in his first scientific steps to have great guides on the long and uphill

road of Attic inscriptions and Greek topography. At Harvard, where he did his postgraduate

studies, his professor was Sterling Dow. In Athens, as a student of the American School, his

teacher was Eugene Vanderpool. From there, like many other young American and Canadian

students, obsessed with letters, he got to know Greece and learned to love and respect the country

and the Greek way of life.

To Vanderpool he owes his acquaintance and guidance in Attic topography. From him

he learned to love the folk taverns and the drink, especially retsina. In the Epeiros and the

other beer-restaurants and taverns of the area near the Agora, Vanderpool’s students, Geagan,

Threatte, Langdon, our present honoree John Traill, and other specializing and promising young

researchers were permanent regulars. Maybe they did not happen to have read it, but surely many

times they would have felt it while drinking, Mr. Alexandros Papadiamantis’ cheerful words: “It

was a beautiful retsination full of aroma and flight and foam.”

His third teacher, mentor, and great friend, was Meritt. It is to him that he owes the

systematic engagement with the bouleutai and prytaneis lists, as well as with Attic prosopography.

The teacher trusted his worthy student and was generous. And he granted him new inscriptions to

publish and entrusted him with the continuation of the Attic Prosopography. His plan to prepare

a new and improved edition of Kirchner’s Prosopographia Attica, had been implemented by Meritt

for many years and, in addition to his personal work, he occasionally assigned the compilation of

entries to his younger collaborators, Kendrick Pritchett, Tony Raubitschek, Daphne Hareward

and a few others, but mainly to the excellent Greek epigrapher George Stamires, who was

Meritt’s assistant and close associate at the Institute for Advanced Study for 13 consecutive

years, from 1948 to 1961. The trust that Meritt put into Traill was not misguided. In addition

to publishing the bouleutic lists in the journal Hesperia and co-publishing with his teacher The

Athenian Councillors in the Ancient Agora series of blue volumes, Traill devoted himself to the

writing on a much broader basis, and using technology and computer capabilities, prosopography

which would now include, in addition to Athenian citizens and women, foreigners, permanent

and occasional residents of Athens and slaves. The compilation of this titanic work, Traill’s life

work, to which his family also contributed greatly, lasted more than thirty-five years. The first

volume of Persons of Ancient Athens was published in 1994 and the 21st, the last, in 2012. But

“the revered old teacher does not leave the beloved intellectual child.” He published two more

volumes with Addenda and Corrigenda, the last one in 2021. I am sure he will also prepare a

third one, and the papers of the Symposium will certainly provide him with new and sufficient

material for his Addenda and Corrigenda.

The publication of lists of bouleutai and prytaneis and the writing of his opus magnum,

Persons of Ancient Athens, required him to come to Greece often, to study both in the ancient

Agora, in the storehouse of the Stoa of Attalos, and in the Epigraphical Museum, as well as to

collect new names and check old readings. His previous teaching, the association with Eugene

Vanderpool, the frequent trips, the stays, and the object of study were decisive for Traill’s close

and loving relationship with the country and its people.

The country and the Greek fellow craftsmen owe a lot to Traill, because he loved Greece,

learned the modern Greek language, and always strives to speak it. He belongs to the old,

now disappearing, generation of American and Canadian Hellenists who consider that Greek

civilization, ancient, medieval and modern, constitute an inseparable continuity and unity and

that the knowledge of modern Hellenism contributes decisively to the understanding of the

ancient Greek world. He is one of the few – and now with the death of David Jordan, Leslie

Threatte, and Ron Stroud, the circle has become even smaller – who, by choice, associates and

has stable friendships with Greeks, travels in the countryside, walks, and enjoys good company

and wine in the few remaining taverns.

The Hellenic Epigraphic Society has a long-standing relationship with the honoree, and

some of its members, among them the speakers, are connected with him with a long friendship.

And his friendship honors us. Traill was, and remains, a steadfast supporter and expounder of

the Society’s work and, whenever he was asked, he generously offered, and continues to offer, his

knowledge and experience to its members. And the Epigraphic Museum, which houses today’s

event in his honor, was also for Traill, as well as for many other epigraphists, especially Attic

ones, home sweet home, to repeat the warm phrase of Lillian Jeffery.

Honored Professor Traill, dearest friend Ioannis.

The decision of the Epigraphic Museum and our company to organize and dedicate to

you – on the occasion of your trip after four years – the Attic Epigraphical and Topographical

Symposium, is a small sample of honor and a small reward for your brave contribution and your

great contribution to the study of Attic inscriptions, prosopography, and Attic topography, but

also an indication of the deep gratitude for your constant, sincere love, and long relationship

with Greece and the Greeks.

(May you live) For Many Years

You are a joy to us, friend Atticus

 

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