Herbert Bloch

Classicist, born in Berlin, Germany. He studied ancient history at the University of Rome (1935 D Lett) and taught at Harvard (1947–82), where he was Pope Professor of Latin (1973–82). He published widely in epigraphy, ancient and mediaeval history, and historiography, and was perhaps best known for his work on Ostia and Monte Cassino.

Herbert Bloch (1911-2006) was professor emeritus of Classics at Harvard and a renowned authority on ancient and medieval architecture and the transmission of classical culture and literature in European history. A Jewish native of Germany, Bloch studied Ancient History, Classical Philology and Archaeology at the University of Berlin and at the University of Rome, where he received his Dr. degree in Roman History in 1935 and the Diploma di perfezionamento in 1937. His teaching and research interests involved Greek and Roman historiography, Latin epigraphy, Roman archaeology (especially architecture), and Medieval Latin literature.

His publications include I bolli laterizi e la storia edilizia romana. Contributi all'archeologia e alla storia romana (1936-38), printed as a book in 1948, 2nd ed. (1986) (awarded the Praemium Urbis in Rome 1987 and the Haskins Medal of the Medieval Academy 1988); A Hagiographical Romance of the Twelfth Century published in the series Studi e Testi 346 (1998).

He has been a member of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey (1953/4), Professor in Charge of the School of Classical Studies at the American Academy in Rome (1957-59), Senior Fellow of the Society of Fellows (1964-79), Trustee of the Loeb Classical Library (1964-73). He served as President of the American Philological Association (1968/9) and as President of Fellows of the Medieval Academy (1990-93). He is a member of the American of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Pontificia Accademia Romana di Archeologia (since 1990 Hon.

He died on 6 September 2006 at Cambridge, Massachusetts.