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Christopher Pelling

b. 1947

British historian of ancient Greece (born 1947)

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About Christopher Pelling

Born 1947. Christopher Pelling is a British classical scholar, university teacher and classical philologist.

Christopher Brendan Reginald Pelling, FLSW (born 14 December 1947) is a British classical scholar. He was the Regius Professor of Greek, at Christ Church, Oxford, from 2003 to 2015. He was President of the Hellenic Society from 2006 to 2008.

His research interests range over Greek and Latin historiography and biography, and also over other areas of Greek literature, especially tragedy.

Biography Educated at Cardiff High School, Pelling in the 1960s was a Senior Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford and then spent twenty-nine years as Fellow and Praelector in Classics at University College, Oxford. He broke new ground through applying literary analysis to historical texts, ranging from Tacitus to Plutarch. At the same time, he was a generous tutor, well regarded by students. He returned to Christ Church, Oxford in 2003 when he became Regius Professor of Greek. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) in 2009. He was elected a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales in 2011.

Radio and TV appearances 2008-01-07, BBC Radio 3, The Essay – Greek And Latin Voices Chris Pelling (series co-anchor) explores how Thucydides's work on the Peloponnesian War furthers people's understanding of contemporary warfare, from Vietnam to Iraq. 1997-12-16, BBC 2, Timewatch - In Search of Cleopatra

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Christ Church, Cardiff High School
Employers
University of Oxford
Awards
Fellow of the British Academy; Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales
Also known as
Christopher Brendan Reginald Pelling, C. B. R. Pelling

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Christopher Pelling's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Christopher Pelling?

British historian of ancient Greece (born 1947)

When was Christopher Pelling born?

Christopher Pelling was born on 14 December 1947.

What is Christopher Pelling's occupation?

Christopher Pelling is a classical scholar, university teacher and classical philologist.

What nationality is Christopher Pelling?

Christopher Pelling is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Christopher Pelling

· Wikidata: Q5113044

· DBpedia: Christopher Pelling

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Christopher Pelling. https://biography.guide/christopher-pelling/

MLA: "Christopher Pelling." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/christopher-pelling/.

Chicago: "Christopher Pelling." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/christopher-pelling/.

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