Harrison, Jane Ellen (1850–1928)
Harrison, Jane Ellen (1850–1928)
English classical scholar. Born in Yorkshire, England, in 1850; died in 1928; attended Cheltenham College; graduate of Newnham College, Cambridge, 1874–79 (received second class in classical tripos, 1879); never married; no children.
Known for her innovative use of archaeology in the interpretation of Greek religion, scholar Jane Harrison was the recipient of numerous academic awards. She was educated at Newnham College and later studied archaeology in London and in Greece. While a lecturer in classical archaeology at Newnham College (1880–98), she served as vice president of the Hellenic Society (1889–96). Harrison wrote numerous books on her chosen field, including Myths of the Odyssey in Art and Literature (1882), The Mythology and Monuments of Ancient Greece (1890), Introductory Studies in Greek Art (1895), Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion (1903), Themis (1912), Ancient Art and Ritual (1913), and Epilogomena to the Study of Greek Religion (1921). In later life, she took up the study of Russian with her friend Hope Mirrlees . The two women collaborated on three books on Russian language and literature, including The Book of the Bear (1927), a series of translations.