George Murnu
January 01, 1868 – November 17, 1957
George Murnu (ˈɟe̯orɟe ˈmurnu; Aromanian: Ioryi al Murnu; 1 January 1868, Veria, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire, now in Greece – 17 November 1957, Bucharest) was a Romanian university professor, archaeologist, historian, translator, and poet of Aromanian origin.
After attending the courses of the Romanian primary and secondary schools in Macedonia at Bitola, he attended the University of Bucharest. In 1893, at age 25, Murnu was appointed professor at the University of Iaşi and shortly afterwards was awarded a scholarship by the Romanian State in order to complete his postgraduate studies in Munich, and, after several years he returned to Romania after completing a doctorate in philology. A fruitful scholarly activity followed, culminating in Murnu becoming a chairman professor of archaeology at the University of Bucharest.
In 1909, he was appointed head of the National Archaeological Museum in Bucharest by the Ministry of Public Instruction and Religious Confessions. He has translated an accomplished version of the Odyssey and Iliad into Romanian. He also wrote his own works of poetry (with bucolic themes), both in Romanian and in his native Aromanian language.
Murnu was a sympathizer of the far right Iron Guard, and was an intimate friend of the Aromanian secessionist politician, Alcibiades Diamandi who in 1917 participated in a failed effort to form an independent Principality of Pindus under the protection of Italy. After the end of World War II, Murnu was not subject to legal investigation - probably due to his age and prestige.
He was elected a full member of the Romanian Academy. Nowadays, a street in the Romanian Black Sea port of Mangalia bears his name.
After attending the courses of the Romanian primary and secondary schools in Macedonia at Bitola, he attended the University of Bucharest. In 1893, at age 25, Murnu was appointed professor at the University of Iaşi and shortly afterwards was awarded a scholarship by the Romanian State in order to complete his postgraduate studies in Munich, and, after several years he returned to Romania after completing a doctorate in philology. A fruitful scholarly activity followed, culminating in Murnu becoming a chairman professor of archaeology at the University of Bucharest.
In 1909, he was appointed head of the National Archaeological Museum in Bucharest by the Ministry of Public Instruction and Religious Confessions. He has translated an accomplished version of the Odyssey and Iliad into Romanian. He also wrote his own works of poetry (with bucolic themes), both in Romanian and in his native Aromanian language.
Murnu was a sympathizer of the far right Iron Guard, and was an intimate friend of the Aromanian secessionist politician, Alcibiades Diamandi who in 1917 participated in a failed effort to form an independent Principality of Pindus under the protection of Italy. After the end of World War II, Murnu was not subject to legal investigation - probably due to his age and prestige.
He was elected a full member of the Romanian Academy. Nowadays, a street in the Romanian Black Sea port of Mangalia bears his name.