Peter Brunt

Peter Astbury Brunt

In 1946, having been released from war-service, he returned to the University of Oxford. He became a Senior Demy (graduate scholar) of Magdalen College,^[1] and took up the Craven Fellowship he had been awarded before the war in 1939.^[5] There, he undertook research on the influence of Stoicism at Rome under the direction of Professor Hugh Last,^[2] and on the relations between governed and governors in the Roman Empire.^[5] While studying at the British School at Rome, he came to the belief that archaeological evidence could only be used to confirm something one already knew.^[4] In 1947, he was offered a lecturing position. He stopped his doctoral research and took up the appointment of lecturer in Ancient History at the University of St Andrews.^[1][2] He found living in St Andrews difficult as he had to vacate his rooms during the summer months and this disrupted his research.^[5]

He returned to the University of Oxford in 1951 and joined Oriel College as fellow and tutor in ancient history.^[3] One focus of interest during this period was that of ancient slavery.^[4] He also lectured on Thucydides in the first few years, and he wrote a revised edition of Jowett's translation of History of the Peloponnesian War with a new introduction in 1963.^[5] He served as Dean of Oriel College from 1959 to 1964.^[5] From 1968 to 1970, he left Oxford University to serve as Bursar of Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge.^[1] During this time he completed two books.,^[6] one of which—Italian Manpower, 225 BC-AD 14 (Oxford University Press, 1971)—was arguably the most innovative book about Roman history written in English since the Second World War. In 1970, he was elected Camden Professor of Ancient History and joined Brasenose College, University of Oxford, as a professorial fellow.^[1][7]

Outside of university, he held a number of positions. He was editor of