American classical scholar and educator (1797–1867)
Charles Anthon (November 19, 1797 – July 29, 1867) was an American classical scholar. Anthon was a professor at Columbia College and became headmaster of its grammar and preparatory school. He produced classical works for schools, which contained assistance and translations in the notes. He had a disagreement with Martin Harris over an account where they discussed the authenticity of the Anthon Transcript of the Book of Mormon. Anthon was also an acquaintance of writer Edgar Allan Poe. He died in New York City at the age of 69.
Life
His father George Christian Anthon was a German-American medical doctor who served in the British Army during the American Revolution until the surrender of Detroit in 1796. George attained the rank of surgeon general, resigned, married the daughter of a French officer, and settled in New York City.[1] Charles was born there on November 19, 1797, graduated with honors from Columbia College in 1815, and, after studying law at his elder brother's firm,[4] was called to the bar in 1819. He never practiced. Instead, the next year, he was appointed assistant professor of Greek and Latin at his old college. In 1830, he was made a full professor and become the headmaster of the Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School. In 1835, he was appointed Jay Professor of the Greek Language and Literature in Columbia College upon the resignation of Nathaniel Fish Moore.[5] He retired from the grammar school in 1864 and died in New York on July 29, 1867, at the age of 69.[4]
Works
He produced a large number of classical works for use in colleges and schools, which enjoyed great popularity, although schoolmasters sometimes disliked their use by students, owing to the large amount of assistance and translations contained in the notes. Anthon's books on classical literature commonly included a "classical dictionary".[4] He also wrote A Manual of Greek Literature from the Earliest Authentic Periods to the Close of Byzantine Era, providing a list of all Greek writers in that period, with a summary of their life and works and a bibliography of editions then in use. The overview is still useful today, but outdated. His intention to provide a similar volume for Latin literature was never fulfilled.
Dr. Anthon's work was carried on by his successor, Henry Drisler.
Anthon Transcript
Charles Anthon is famous in connection with the history of the Latter Day Saint movement because of his interactions with Martin Harris in February 1828 concerning a fragment of Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon.[4] The fragment later came to be known as the Anthon Transcript. According to Harris, Anthon wrote Harris a letter of authenticity declaring the fragment to contain true Egyptian characters. Anthon also confirmed the translation of these characters as correct. When informed that an angel of God had revealed the characters to Joseph Smith, Anthon tore up the authentication, stating that there was no such thing as angels, and asked Harris to bring the plates to him for translation. Martin Harris went to Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill afterwards and received a letter of authenticity from him.[6][7] Anthon, however, disagreed with Harris' version of their encounter and stated in a letter to Eber D. Howe on February 17, 1834, that the story of Anthon's authentication was false, that Anthon had identified the writings as a hoax, and that Anthon had told Harris that the writings were part of "a scheme to cheat the farmer [Martin Harris] of his money..."[8] Anthon gave a second account in 1841 as to whether he gave Harris a written opinion about the document: "[Harris] requested me to give him my opinion in writing about the paper which he had shown to me. I did so without hesitation, partly for the man's sake, and partly to let the individual 'behind the curtain' see that his trick was discovered. The import of what I wrote was, as far as I can now recollect, simply this, that the marks in the paper appeared to be merely an imitation of various alphabetical characters, and had, in my opinion, no meaning at all connected with them."[9][unreliable source?]
Acquaintance with Poe
Dr. Anthon was a friend and correspondent of Edgar Allan Poe, who attempted to use their acquaintance to gain a national reputation in literature and journalism as well as publication in 1845 of his collected stories through Harper and Brothers. This was, at the time, unsuccessful due to a doubtful accusation of plagiarism against Poe; however, Poe went on to establish himself in the first rank of American letters.
Family
His brother John Anthon was a noted jurist. His brother Henry Anthon (1795-1861) was a noted clergyman.[1] His son Charles Edward Anthon was a professor of history and belles-lettres at the New York Free Academy (which later became the College of the City of New York), and a prominent numismatist.[10]
