András Bodor and the History of Classical Studies in Transylvania in the 20th century

by Csaba Szabó

András Bodor and the history of classical studies in Transylvania in the 20th century is the first comprehensive work focusing on the life of a classicist from Transylvania, presenting in detail the life and academic heritage of András Bodor (1915-1999). Based on 1348 newly identified letters, 209 photographs (including 25 portraits), András Bodor’s complete bibliography and his unpublished memoir from 1915-1959, the work offers also the first publication of Bodor’s academic correspondence (107 letters) and also extracts from his unpublished journal. Based on a large number of unpublished documents and the major works of Bodor, the book tries to reconstruct the life and academic heritage of a classicist from the periphery of Europe, a region that changed so many times over the long course of the 20th century. András Bodor appears as a student torn between theology and classical studies, a Transylvanian Hungarian who ended up at Oxford, a lecturer at the Hungarian University of Cluj, a researcher who had the idea of establishing a new school of classics, marginalised and compromising, a quiet teacher of the newly established Babeș-Bolyai University and also a senior professor engaged in education policy. The personality and work of Bodor is presented through the short history of classics in Transylvania, Romania, reflecting on the European and global changes of the discipline.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Research history and sources

Acknowledgements

Biographies and historiographic reflections

History of classics before András Bodor in Transylvania

The life of András Bodor

From Suatu (Magyarszovát) to the beginnings (1915-1937)

The Oxford Years

From Theology to Classics

In the Service of Universities

András Bodor, the His Work and Legacy

The so-called ‘Geto-Dacian’ Period

Roman History, Art and Religion

The History of Ancient Napoca

Ancient Slavery

Conclusions

Sumar (Summary in Romanian)

Összefoglaló (Summary in Hungarian)

the Academic Correspondence of András Bodor

Bibliography of András Bodor

References

Index

222 pages, Paperback

Published February 28, 2021