Bentley's Dissertation upon the Epistles of Phalaris, published in 1699, proved that the letters in question, supposedly written in the 6th century BCE by the Sicilian tyrant Phalaris, were actually a forgery produced by a Greek sophist in the 2nd century CE. Bentley's investigation of the subject is still regarded as a landmark of textual criticism. He also showed that the sound represented in transcriptions of some Greek dialects by the letter digamma appeared also in Homeric poetry, even though it was not represented there in writing by any letter.
Leben und Werk
Bentley became Master of Trinity College, Cambridge in 1700. His autocratic manner and contemptuous treatment of the college fellows led to extensive controversy and litigation, but he remained in that post until his death, more than four decades later. In 1717 Bentley was appointed as the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge. As professor at Cambridge, Bentley introduced the first competitive written examinations in a Western university.
A fellow of the Royal Society, Bentley was interested in natural theology and the new physical sciences, subjects on which he corresponded with Isaac Newton. Bentley was in charge of the second edition of Newton's Principia Mathematica, although he delegated most of the scientific work involved to his pupil Roger Cotes.
Wichtige Fakten
- Born: January 27, 1662 in Oulton, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
- Gestorben: 1742
Vermächtnis und Wirkung
Der Einfluss von Richard Bentley reicht weit über das eigene Leben hinaus. Richard Bentley prägte das menschliche Wissen und den Fortschritt grundlegend, und die Errungenschaften und Beiträge bleiben bis heute prägend.
Obwohl er/sie 1742 verstarb, werden seine/ihre Ideen weltweit weiterhin von Wissenschaftlern und Praktikern erforscht, diskutiert und weiterentwickelt.
Richard Bentley bleibt eine der gefeiertsten Persönlichkeiten aus England und ein Zeugnis des reichen geistigen Erbes der Region.
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