Gaisford Prize

The Gaisford Prize is a prize awarded by the Faculty of Classics, University of Oxford for a composition in Classical Greek Verse and Prose by an undergraduate student. The prize was founded in 1855 in memory of Dr Thomas Gaisford (1779–1855). The prizes now also include the Gaisford Essay Prize and the Gaisford Dissertation Prize.

History Dr Thomas Gaisford, Dean of Christ Church, Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Oxford for more than forty years (1811–1855), died on 2 June 1855. Ten days later, at a meeting held in Christ Church on 12 June, it was resolved to establish a prize in his honour, to be called the Gaisford Prize, and to raise for that purpose £1,000 by public subscription, the interest to be applied "to reward a successful prizeman or prizemen, under such regulations as shall be approved by Convocation".Urban, Sylvanus, The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. XLIV (July to December 1855) page 100 online at books.google.co.uk, accessed 14 August 2008 The prizes were first awarded in 1857.

There have been four categories of Gaisford Prize. The two original categories were:

Gaisford Prize for Greek Verse. It ceased being awarded for a period after 1975, but had been revived by 1995.Oxford University Gazette, 23 June 1995 at ox.ac.uk, accessed 19 March 2024 Gaisford Prize for Greek Prose. By the late 1980s it was awarded based on Honour Moderations exams.

By 2003 the Schedule to the University's Statutes and Regulations provided for a different two prizes, which remained in the Schedule as of 2024:

Gaisford Essay Prize for Greek Language and Literature, available to undergraduates Gaisford Dissertation Prize for Greek or Latin Language and Literature, available to graduates

The 1857–1876 winners of the Greek Prose Prize were listed alongside winners of the Newdigate Prize on the wrapper of Oscar Wilde's published Newdigate-winning poem Ravenna (1878).Mason, Stuart, Bibliography of Oscar Wilde, (Reprint by Read Books, 2007, of 1914 edition, ) p. 241

Winners of the Gaisford Prize for Greek Verse

1857: Joseph Henry Warner (Balliol) for Homeric verse: Milton's Paradise Lost 6.56-98.Warner, J. H., Gaisford Prize: Greek Hexameters Recited in the Theatre, Oxford, June 24, MDCCCLVII (Oxford: T. and G. Shrimpton, 1857), online at books.google.co.uk, accessed 14 August 2008 1858: Reginald Broughton (Balliol) for comic iambics: Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I, Act 2 Sc. 4.Broughton, R., Gaisford Prize: Greek Iambics Recited in the Theatre, Oxford, June 16, MDCCCLVIII (Oxford: T. and G. Shrimpton, 1858), online at books.google.co.uk, accessed 14 August 2008 1859: George Rankine Luke (Balliol) for hexameter verse: Morte D'Arthur.Luke, George R., Morte D'Arthur, The Gaisford Prize Poem: Recited in the Sheldonian Theatre, July 6, A. D. MDCCCLIX (Oxford: T. and G. Shrimpton, 1859), online at books.google.co.uk, accessed 14 August 2008 1860: Chaloner William Chute (Balliol) for tragic iambic verse: Shakespeare's Richard III, Act 4, Sc. 4.Chute, Chaloner W., Gaisford Prize: Greek Iambics Recited in the Theatre, Oxford, June 20, MDCCCLX (Oxford: T. and G. Shrimpton, 1860), online at books.google.co.uk, accessed 14 August 2008 1861: James Bryce (Trinity) for Theocritean verse: The May Queen: a Greek idyll (from Tennyson).Bryce, James, The May queen : a Greek idyll: Gaisford prize, Greek verse (Oxford: T. and G. Shrimpton, 1861, 7 pp.) 1862: Robert William Raper (Trinity) for comic iambic verse: Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part II, Act 4, Sc. 3.Raper, Robert W., Gaisford Prize: Greek Iambics Recited in the Theatre, Oxford, July 2, MDCCCLXII (Oxford: T. and G. Shrimpton, 1862), online at books.google.co.uk, accessed 14 August 2008 1863: Charles John Pearson for Homeric verse: Paradise Lost 6.824-877.Pearson, Charles J., Gaisford Prize: A translation of Milton's Paradise lost, Book 6, 824–877, Homeric hexameters : recited in the Theatre, Oxford, June 17, MDCCCLXIII] (Oxford: T. and G. Shrimpton, 1863) 1864: Evelyn Abbott (Balliol) for tragic iambic verse: Shakespeare's Pericles, Act 5, Sc. 1. 1865: Ernest James MyersSelected Poetry of Ernest Myers (1844–1921) at rpo.library.utoronto.ca, accessed 16 August 2008 (Balliol and Wadham) for a Theocritean idyll: Ægon et Milo, qui ad Olympicum certamen profecti erant, domum redeuntes, inter se loquuntur. 1866: George Nutt (New College) for comic iambics: Henry IV, Part II, Act 1. Sc. 2.Nutt, George, Gaisford Prize: Greek Comic Iambics Recited in the Theatre, Oxford, Jube xiii, mdccclxvi (Oxford: Rivingtons, 1866), online at books.google.co.uk, accessed 14 August 2008 1867: Alexander James Montgomerie Bell (Balliol) for Homeric hexameters: Necryomanteia sive Dante Poeta apud Inferos.Bell, Alexander M., Gaisford Prize Recited in the Theatre, Oxford, June 26, 1867, by Alexander M. Bell, Balliol College (Oxford: T. and G. Shrimpton, 1867, 15pp.) 1868: Richard Lewis Nettleship (Balliol) for tragic iambics: Shelley's Prometheus Unbound, Act 2, Sc. 4. 1869: John Arthur Godley (Balliol) for Theocritean verse: Shakespeare's Cymbeline, Act 4, Sc. 2.Godley, John Arthur, Gaisford Prize: Greek Theocritean verse Recited in the Theatre, Oxford, July 4, MDCCCLXIX (Oxford: T. and G. Shrimpton, 1869), online at books.google.co.uk, accessed 14 August 2008Matthew, H. C. G., 'Godley, (John) Arthur, first Baron Kilbracken (1847–1932), civil servant' in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 (online edition, subscription required), accessed 16 August 2008 1870: Walter Sumner Gibson (Balliol) for comic iambic verse: Henry IV, Part II, Act 5, Sc. 1. 1871: Edward Byron Nicholson (Trinity, and Bodley's librarian) for heroic hexameters: Ἄστρων νυκτέρων ὁμήγυρις.Nicholson, Edward Byron, Gaisford Prize: Greek verse recited in the Sheldonian theatre, Oxford, June 14, MDCCCLXXI (Oxford: G. Shrimpton, 1870, 7 pp.) 1872: Thomas Agar (Christ Church) for tragic iambic verse: Byron's Manfred, Act 1, "The Spirits I have raised..." 1873: Alfred Joshua Butler for Homeric verse: Paradise Lost 4.634-705. 1874: Edward Maclaine Field (Trinity) for comic iambics: Henry IV, Part I, Act 5 Sc. 4. 1875: Thomas Herbert Warren (Balliol and Magdalen) for an idyll: The Ruins of Athens. 1876: Arthur Elam Haigh (Corpus Christi) for tragic iambics: Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Act 1, Sc. 2.Haigh, Arthur Elam, Gaisford Prize: Greek Verse (Oxford: Thos. Shrimpton & Son, 1876), online at books.google.co.uk, accessed 14 August 2008 1877: Sidney Graves Hamilton (Balliol and Hertford) for Homeric hexameters: Paradise Lost 4.223-287.Hamilton, Sidney Graves, Gaisford Prize: Greek Verse (Oxford: 1877), online at books.google.co.uk, accessed 14 August 2008 1878: Alfred Denis Godley (Balliol) for comic iambics: the Hampshire farmer's address in Rejected Addresses. 1879: Alfred Temple Roberts (Magdalen) for idyllic hexameters: Milton's Lycidas 5.132. 1880: Ernest Alfred Upcott (Balliol) for tragic iambics: Paradise Lost 4.32-113. 1881: Christopher Cookson (Corpus Christi) for idyllic hexameter's: Matthew Arnold's Thyrsis. 1882: William Ross Hardie (Balliol) for comic iambics: Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Act 2, Sc. 5Hardie, William Ross, Gaisford Prize: Greek iambics (Oxford: B. H. Blackwell, 1884, 15 pp.) 1883: Cecil Henry St Leger RussellFoster, op. cit: "Russell, Cecil Henry St. Leger, born at Trinidad, West Indies, 18 April 1862; is. Richard, arm. TRINITY, matric. 15 Oct., 81, aged 19 (from Lancing coll.), scholar 81–5, B.A. 86, M.A. 88 (HONOURS: 2 classical mods. 82, Latin verse 82, Greek verse 83, Greek prose 84, 2 classics 85); a master at Clifton coll." (Trinity) for Homeric hexameters: The Death of Zohrab and Rustum. 1884: Harry Hammond House (Corpus Christi) for iambics: Henry IV, Part II, Act 1, Sc. 1.House, Harry Hammond, Gaisford Prize: Greek iambics (Oxford: B. H. Blackwell, 1884, 11 pp.) 1885: John Undershell Powell (St. John's) for idyllic hexameters" Shelley's Adonaïs 39–66. 1886: Gilbert Murray (St. John's) for comic iambics: Henry IV, Part II, Act 3, Sc. 2. 1887: Frederick William Hall (Trinity) for Homeric hexameters: Paradise Lost 6.746-785. 1888: Frank Fletcher (Balliol) for tragic iambics: Shelley's Cenci, Act 5, Sc. 4. 1889: René Louis Alphonse Du Pontet (Trinity) for hexameters on Columbus.Du Pontet, René L. A., Gaisford prize, 1889. Hexameter verse (Oxford: B. H. Blackwell, 1889, 15 pp.)Foster, Joseph, Oxford men, 1880–1892, with a record of their schools, honours and degrees (1893) online at us.archive.org, accessed 18 August 2008: "Du-Pontet, Rene Louis Alphonse, born in London 27 Aug., 1868; is. Marc Jules Henri, cler. TRINITY, matric. 15 Oct., 87, aged 19 (from St. Paul's school), scholar 86, B.A. 91 (HONOURS : i classical mods. 89, 2 classics 91, Hertford scholarship 88, Greek verse 89, Taylorian (French) scholarship 89, Latin verse 90, Craven scholarship 90, Latin essay 92, Derby scholarship 92); a master at Winchester" 1890: William Martin Geldart (Balliol) for comic iambics: Henry V, Act 2, Sc. 3. 1891: William Frederick Lofthouse (Trinity) for idyllic hexameters: 'Country Cousins at the Jubilee' (Et quæ tanta fuit Romam tibi causa vivendi). 1892: Wilfred Ormrod Bailey (Trinity) for tragic iambics: Milton's Samson Agonistes 1570–1660. 1893: Herbert Sidebotham (Balliol) for idyllic hexameters: Lycidas 15–84. 1894: George Stuart Robertson (New College) for comic iambic verse: Henry IV, Part II, Act 2, Sc. 2. 1895: Frank Lloyd Edwards (New College) for tragic iambic verse: Matthew Arnold's Merope. 1896: Edward L. D. Cole (Balliol) for hexameters: Virgil's Aeneid 2.162-249.Cole, Edward L. D., Gaisford prize, 1896. Greek hexameters (Oxford, B. H. Blackwell, 1896, 13 pp.) 1897: W. F. Nicholson (Balliol) for Theocritean hexameters: Thomson's Castle of Indolence 1.2-12. 1898: James Alexander Webster (Magdalen) for iambic verse: Marlowe's Edward II, Act 5, Sc. 1. 1899: Harold Trevor Baker (New College) for comic iambic verse: Ben Jonson's Every Man in His Humour, Act 1, Sc. 4. 1900: Julius Victor Scholderer (Trinity) for hexameters: R.L. Stevenson's Rahéro. 1901: Frederick Lewisohn (Trinity) for Theocritean verse: Milton's Comus 244–330. 1902: Edward William Macleay Grigg (New College) for iambic verse: Richard III, Act 1, Sc. 2.Rose, Kenneth, 'Grigg, Edward William Macleay, first Baron Altrincham (1879–1955), colonial administrator and politician' (rev.) in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, (online edition, January 2008, subscription required) accessed 16 August 2008 1903: H. L. Henderson (Christ Church) for comic iambics: Henry IV, Part II, Act 3, Sc. 2. 1904: Cyril Charles Martindale (Pope's Hall [now Campion Hall]) for hexameters: Virgil's Georgics 4.450-547. 1905: F. A. B. Newman (Univ) for Theocritean hexameters: Spenser's Shepherd's Calendar: Aegloga Sexta. 1906: Leslie Whitaker Hunter (New College) for elegiac verse: Tennyson's Lotos-Eaters.Hunter, Leslie Whitaker, Gaisford Prize for Greek elegiac verse, translation from Tennyson's Lotos-eaters (Oxford: Blackwell, 1906) 1907: William Alexander Bain (Christ Church) for tragic iambics: Byron's Marino Faliero, Act 4, Sc. 2. 1908: Ronald Arbuthnott Knox (Balliol) for Theocritean hexameters: Robert Browning's Pippa Passes III. 'Evening: Talk By the Way'. 1909: Algernon E. F. Spencer (Christ Church) for comic iambics: Sheridan's School for Scandal, Act 4, Sc. 1. 1910: Roderick McKenzie (Trinity) for Homeric hexameters: Virgil's Aeneid 2.268-385. 1911: Edgar Lobel (Balliol) for tragic iambics: Racine's Esther 3.1-3. 1912: Thomas Farrant Higham for Theocritean hexameters: George Meredith's Love in the Valley 1–9. 1913: George Dunn (Corpus Christi) for elegiacs: Pope's Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady. 1914: Frank Newton Tribe for tragic iambics: Browning's Strafford, Act 5, Sc. 2, lines 268-end. 1915: Reuben Cohen for comic iambics: Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer, Act 2.