Modern Greek studies scholar and translator Peter Mackridge has died

The death has been announced of Peter Mackridge, emeritus professor of Modern Greek at the University of Oxford.

He held the chair from 1996 until his early retirement in 2003. His research interests covered various areas in Greek language, literature and cultural history since AD 1100, but he specialized in the period since 1750.

His translations of stories by the 19th-century authors Vizyenos and Papadiamandis and a collection of haikus by the 21st-century poet Haris Vlavianos were published in 2014-15.

He was an editor of the journal Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies and a member of the editorial board of the Greek journal Kondyloforos.

Mackridge was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Athens in 2008 and an honorary professorship at the University of the Peloponnese in 2017. On March 23, he was awarded honorary Greek citizen for his services to Greek studies.

“Prof Peter Mackridge, great scholar and honorary Greek citizen, will be greatly missed. His death is a tragic loss of a passionate & enthusiastic advocate of Greece, which he was proud to call ‘πατρίδα,’ and of an exceptional Greek citizen. We offer our most sincere condolences,” the British Embassy in Athens tweeted.

The Athens Review of Books tweeted: “It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing away of our friend and long-time contributor to the ARB, Peter Mackridge, Emeritus Professor of Modern Greek at the University of Oxford. For those who would like to learn more, Issue 136 (Feb 2022) is dedicated to his work.”