Erwin Rohde

Erwin Rohde was a significant German classical scholar of the 19th century, born in Hamburg on October 9, 1845. He is also recognized for his close friendship and correspondence with the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Both studied philology under Friedrich Wilhelm Ritschl in Bonn and Leipzig. Rohde embarked on an academic career, becoming a professor at the University of Kiel in 1872. He subsequently held professorial positions at the Universities of Jena (1876), Tübingen (1878), and finally Heidelberg. He passed away in Heidelberg on January 11, 1898, following a prolonged period of declining health. Rohde's scholarly contributions are highly regarded, particularly his work 'Psyche: The Cult of Souls and the Belief in Immortality among the Greeks' (1890-1894), which remains an authoritative source on ancient Greek beliefs and practices concerning the soul. Another major work, 'Der Griechische Roman und seine Vorläufer' (1876), was lauded by Mikhail Bakhtin as the best book on the history of the ancient novel and is considered a major achievement in 19th-century classical scholarship.