Introduction
William Roger Paton, usually cited as W. R. Paton (2 September 1857 – 21 April 1921), was an author and translator of ancient Greek texts and poets, mostly known for his translation of the Greek anthology. He was of Scottish origin.
Life
Born on 2 September 1857, Old Machar (Aberdeen, Scotland), son of John Paton and Eliza Deborah Burnett.
He studied at Oxford. He obtained a PhD.
He was married in 1885 to Irene Olympiti (1869/70-1908 Paris, daughter of Emmanuel Olympiti, mayor of Kalymnos), a woman from the island of Kalymnos who had a plot of land in Myndos (Gümüşlük) but he later moved to Chios and Lesbos so that his sons could attend high school there.
He had two sons and two daughters: George Paton (13 August 1886 – ?), unmarried, Thetis Paton (21 November 1887, Woodside – ?) [1], who married Costakis Svinos in Smyrna, John David Paton, (1890 – ?), who married Fenella Cromby from Scotland, and Sevastie or Augusta Paton (1900, Myndos – 1989), who married Baron János Kemény, Hungarian author, theater director and dramatist.
He appears as a resident of Vathy, Samos from 1897 to his death, 1921, from a number of periodicals which show this address and some of his published letters. He was a resident in Samos since he got married again with Clio, a woman from Samos, after his wife Irene Olympitis death.
He died on 21 April 1921 in the town of Vathy, Samos.
Timeline
- 1857 birth at Old Machar, Aderbdeen
- Oxford for studies
- 1885 (28 y. old) married Irene Olympitis
- 1886 (29 y. old) birth of his son George
- 1887 (30 y. old) birth of his daughter Thetis, Woodside, Aberdeen
- 1890 (33 y. old) birth of his son David
- 1890 signs letter from Aberdeen
- 1897 Vathy, Samos
- 1900 (43 y. old) birth of his daughter Sevastie or Augusta, Myndos
- Chios/Lesvos for high school for his sons
- 1921 (64 y. old) died at Vathy Samos
Works
He published the following books:
- Histories of Polybius, Loeb Classical Library, "Polybius, The Histories", six volumes: Greek text with English translation by W. R. Paton
- I (L128) Books I-II (1922) ISBN 0-674-99142-7 [1][2]
- II (L137) Books III-IV (1922) ISBN 0-674-99152-4 [3]
- III (L138) Books V-VIII (1923) ISBN 0-674-99153-2 [4]
- IV (L159) Books IX-XV (1925) ISBN 0-674-99175-3
- V (L160) Books XVI-XXVII (1926) ISBN 0-674-99176-1 [5]
- VI (L161) Books XXVIII-XXXIX (1927) ISBN 0-674-99178-8 [6]
- The Greek anthology with an English translation, The Loeb Classical Library
- The Greek anthology with an English translation, vol. I by W. R. Paton, published by W. Heinemann (London), G.P. Putnam's sons (New York) 1916 (edition 1927) see also [7] (contains books I–VI of the Greek Anthology). Also available in [8] και [9]
- The Greek anthology with an English translation, vol. II by W. R. Paton, Published by W. Heinemann (London), G.P. Putnam's sons (New York) 1917 (edition 1919) also see [10] (contains books VII–VIII of the Greek Anthology)
- The Greek anthology with an English translation, vol. III by W. R. Paton, Published by W. Heinemann (London), G.P. Putnam's sons (New York) 1915 (έκδοση 1925) δες και [11] (contains book IX of the Greek Anthology)
- The Greek anthology with an English translation, vol. IV by W. R. Paton, Published by W. Heinemann (London), G.P. Putnam's sons (New York) 1918. see also [12] (contains books X-XII of the Greek Anthology)
- The Greek anthology with an English translation, vol. V by W. R. Paton, Published by W. Heinemann (London), G.P. Putnam's sons (New York) 1918 also see [13] (contains books XIII–XVI of the Greek Anthology)
- Anthologiae Grecae Erotica [14]
- Plutarchi Moralia (translation)
- The inscriptions of Cos [15] in [16]
- Inscriptiones graecae insularum maris Aegaei. Fasciculus II, Inscriptiones Lesbi, Nesi, Tenedi
- Plutarchi Pythici dialogi tres [17], [18], 1893
His works are extensively quoted as the main references both for the Greek Anthology as well as for Polybius.