Eminent Roman historian

Born: July 5, 1935;

Died: July 15 2019.

Sir Fergus Millar, who has died aged 84, was a renowned classicist and a leading world authority on the ancient world. He held several distinguished academic positions - while he was Camden Professor of Ancient History at Oxford University (1984-2002) he also acted as a fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford. Millar was widely respected throughout the academic profession and was numbered among the most influential ancient historians of recent years. He was recognised by colleagues as a towering figure in the field of both Roman and Greek history and was an editor of the prestigious Journal of Roman Studies between 1975 and 1979.

Millar enjoyed in-depth discussions about historical facts both with colleagues and students. He encouraged open debate with the latter – one student remembered, “Professor Millar led me into the field of Oxford ancient history three decades ago and has given me nothing but kindness since.” An outstanding former student was Dame Mary Beard who was at Oxford in the 1980s. She has recalled, “Professor Millar had an ability to disagree cordially and that civility came across in how he taught.”

Fergus Graham Burtholme Millar was born in Edinburgh the son of JSL Millar, a solicitor, and his wife, Jean (nee Taylor). He attended the Edinburgh Academy and then from 1949-53 Loretto School, Musselburgh where he was a noted classics scholar and edited The Lorettonian. He did his national service mostly in Fife learning Russian then in 1958 he read ancient history and philosophy at Trinity College, Oxford. Millar was awarded a prestigious prize fellowship at All Souls College to study for his doctorate on the historian Cassius Dio. On graduating he became fellow and tutor at Queen’s College (1976-84) and professor at Oxford.

In 1977 Millar published The Emperor in the Roman World which caused some controversy in academic circles. It literally transformed the interpretation and the study of how the Roman empire was ruled. Millar captured the vast nature of the empire and wrote with learned conviction about its governance, financing and complex administration.

His extensive research led him to analyse a subject that had been rather ignored by historians: the exact power of the emperor in politics and administration. He analysed the origins of the emperor’s wealth and financial dealings and, with total clarity, wrote of the relationship between the emperor and the various powerful Roman institutions – including the church. Millar defined in detail the emperor’s responsibilities and where his executive responsibilities ceased. One critic wrote of the book, “Just great. I really can't recommend this highly enough. Well written and absolutely dense with detail and sources.”

Millar was to write many other books and academics papers but The Emperor in the Roman World was the work that scholars revered for its insight and knowledge of Roman imperial history. Also hailed was Millar’s three volume history, Rome, the Greek World, and the East, in which Millar shed fresh light on the regime of the first Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus.

Mary Beard has recalled her days as a student of Millar’s at Cambridge. “The Emperor in the Roman World caused much argument at the time – it really energised graduate students like me - on one occasion we were asked to pipe down on the train to Cambridge, as we were arguing just too loudly about it. But in the end, one of the most important messages that I took away from Professor Millar’s lectures was more about ‘how to disagree’ than about history itself. I knew him for forty years or so and had a real soft spot for him.”

For all his eminence Millar remained convivial and generous in his time with young students. Millar and a colleague (Keith Hopkins, also an eminent historian) were to deliver lectures and have a discussion on a learned matter of Roman history on which they disagreed. Millar opened the discussion by saying, “We are going to be having a free, frank and intense debate but afterwards Keith and I will be having a couple of gin and tonics in the bar and you are all very welcome to come and join us.”

Millar, who was knighted in 2010, served as president of Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies and as Chairman of the British School in Rome. He was elected fellow of the British Academy in 1976 and held several honorary degrees including from St Andrews and Edinburgh universities.

Millar retired in 2002 but continued to teach at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. In 2015 to celebrate his 80th birthday and there was a day-long symposium at All Souls College, Oxford.

In 1959 he married Susanna Friedmann, an academic psychologist. She survives him, as do his children, Sarah, Andrew and Jonathan, and seven grandchildren.

Alasdair Steven

Sir Fergus Millar,

Eminent Roman historian

Born. July 5, 1935. Died. July 15 2019.

Sir Fergus Millar, who has died aged 84, was a renowned classicist and a leading world authority on the ancient world. He held several distinguished academic positions - while he was Camden Professor of Ancient History at Oxford University (1984-2002) he also acted as a fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford. Millar was widely respected throughout the academic profession and was numbered among the most influential ancient historians of recent years. He was recognised by colleagues as a towering figure in the field of both Roman and Greek history and was an editor of the prestigious Journal of Roman Studies between 1975 and 1979.

Millar enjoyed in-depth discussions about historical facts both with colleagues and students. He encouraged open debate with the latter – one student remembered, “Professor Millar led me into the field of Oxford ancient history three decades ago and has given me nothing but kindness since.” An outstanding former student was Dame Mary Beard who was at Oxford in the 1980s. She has recalled, “Professor Millar had an ability to disagree cordially and that civility came across in how he taught.”

Fergus Graham Burtholme Millar was born in Edinburgh the son of JSL Millar, a solicitor, and his wife, Jean (nee Taylor). He attended the Edinburgh Academy and then from 1949-53 Loretto School, Musselburgh where he was a noted classics scholar and edited The Lorettonian. He did his national service mostly in Fife learning Russian then in 1958 he read ancient history and philosophy at Trinity College, Oxford. Millar was awarded a prestigious prize fellowship at All Souls College to study for his doctorate on the historian Cassius Dio. On graduating he became fellow and tutor at Queen’s College (1976-84) and professor at Oxford.

In 1977 Millar published The Emperor in the Roman World which caused some controversy in academic circles. It literally transformed the interpretation and the study of how the Roman empire was ruled. Millar captured the vast nature of the empire and wrote with learned conviction about its governance, financing and complex administration.

His extensive research led him to analyse a subject that had been rather ignored by historians: the exact power of the emperor in politics and administration. He analysed the origins of the emperor’s wealth and financial dealings and, with total clarity, wrote of the relationship between the emperor and the various powerful Roman institutions – including the church. Millar defined in detail the emperor’s responsibilities and where his executive responsibilities ceased. One critic wrote of the book, “Just great. I really can't recommend this highly enough. Well written and absolutely dense with detail and sources.”

Millar was to write many other books and academics papers but The Emperor in the Roman World was the work that scholars revered for its insight and knowledge of Roman imperial history. Also hailed was Millar’s three volume history, Rome, the Greek World, and the East, in which Millar shed fresh light on the regime of the first Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus.

Mary Beard has recalled her days as a student of Millar’s at Cambridge. “The Emperor in the Roman World caused much argument at the time – it really energised graduate students like me - on one occasion we were asked to pipe down on the train to Cambridge, as we were arguing just too loudly about it. But in the end, one of the most important messages that I took away from Professor Millar’s lectures was more about ‘how to disagree’ than about history itself. I knew him for forty years or so and had a real soft spot for him.”

For all his eminence Millar remained convivial and generous in his time with young students. Millar and a colleague (Keith Hopkins, also an eminent historian) were to deliver lectures and have a discussion on a learned matter of Roman history on which they disagreed. Millar opened the discussion by saying, “We are going to be having a free, frank and intense debate but afterwards Keith and I will be having a couple of gin and tonics in the bar and you are all very welcome to come and join us.”

Millar, who was knighted in 2010, served as president of Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies and as Chairman of the British School in Rome. He was elected fellow of the British Academy in 1976 and held several honorary degrees including from St Andrews and Edinburgh universities.

Millar retired in 2002 but continued to teach at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. In 2015 to celebrate his 80th birthday and there was a day-long symposium at All Souls College, Oxford.

In 1959 he married Susanna Friedmann, an academic psychologist. She survives him, as do his children, Sarah, Andrew and Jonathan, and seven grandchildren.

Alasdair Steven