Colin Hardie

Colin Graham Hardie (16 February 1906 – 17 October 1998) was a British classicist and academic. From 1933 to 1936, he was Director of the British School at Rome. From 1936 to 1973, he was a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, and a tutor in classics. In addition, from 1967 to 1973, he was the Public Orator of the University of Oxford. He was a member of the Inklings, an informal literary discussion group which included the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.

Early life Hardie was born on 16 February 1906 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the third son of William Ross Hardie and his wife Isabella Watt Hardie (née Stevenson). His father was a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, and Professor of Humanity at the University of Edinburgh. His brother, Frank, also went on to become a successful classicist. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy, a private school. Hertford Scholar in 1926 and the Gaisford Prize for Greek Prose in 1927. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1928, He returned to England from Italy to become a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, and a tutor in classics. For the final six years of his time at the University of Oxford, from 1967 to 1973, he was the Public Orator; a role in which he acted as the voice of the university during public occasions such as royal visits and the presentation of honorary degrees.

Later life Following his retirement in 1973, Hardie and his wife moved away from Oxford to Rackham Cottage, near the village of Pulborough, Sussex. He converted to Roman Catholicism in 1945.

Selected works