Ancient CyprusAncient Cyprus

Epigrapher · Scholar

Theodor Mommsen

1817–1903 · Germany

German epigrapher and scholar.

Life and work

  1. 1890–1891
    A fragment of a Latin dedication from the Cyprus Exploration Fund's 1890 Salamis excavation (now British Museum) was communicated to him; he proposed a restoration naming Tiberius, declined to accept 'Salaminorum' in line 3, and offered another restoration of a blue marble pedestal text.

    SalamisMunro et al. 1891

  2. 13 May 1893
    Wrote to Carl Humann that 'der erbarmliche O.-R., dem vornehme Connexionen und gelehrte Schwache zu die Wissenschaft schandender Unterstutzung verholfen haben, wird Ihnen nichts zu schaffen machen', after Ohnefalsch-Richter obtained funding for a Cyprus campaign (quoted by Buchholz from Vorberichte I 298 n. 6).

    Buchholz 1989

  3. 1893
    As permanent secretary of the Prussian Academy asked by government offices to assess Ohnefalsch-Richter's application for the 1893-94 Cyprus campaign; his comments were devastating but, per Schmid, scientifically justifiable; he was outraged at the decision because he favoured funding Humann's Sencirli excavation, which was in direct competition. Funding came mostly from the emperor, with smaller sums from the Virchow Foundation and private donors.

    BerlinSchmid 2025

Connections

2 people

Disputes & the law

Scholarship

Colleagues & contacts

On Ancient Cyprus

1 page

Sources

  1. 1.H.-G. Buchholz (1989). “Max Ohnefalsch-Richter als Archäologe auf Zypern”. Cahiers du Centre d'Études Chypriotes 11-12, 3-27.
  2. 2.Stephan G. Schmid (2025). “Was there an official German interest in the archaeology of Cyprus between 1878 and 1914?”. Empire & Excavation: Critical perspectives on archaeology in British-period Cyprus, 1878-1960, 69-92. Leiden, Sidestone Press.
  3. 3.J. A. R. Munro, H. A. Tubbs, W. Wroth (1891). “Excavations in Cyprus, 1890: Third Season's Work: Salamis”. Journal of Hellenic Studies 12, 59-198. Online