Hellenist

/ˈhɛlənɪst/ noun

Definition

A person who studies or is deeply interested in ancient Greek language, culture, and history.

Etymology

From Hellenism plus -ist (one who practices or specializes in). It emerged as scholars in the 19th and 20th centuries created a category for experts devoted to Greek studies.

Kelly Says

Some of history's greatest minds were hellenists—they believed that studying Greek philosophy and literature held the key to understanding Western thought itself. Universities created entire departments of hellenists, treating ancient Greece almost like a sacred intellectual tradition.

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