The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies, known as the Hellenic Society, was founded in 1879 to advance the study of Greek language, literature, history, art and archaeology in the Ancient, Byzantine and Modern periods. The first President was J. B. Lightfoot, the biblical scholar and Bishop of Durham. Ioannis Gennadius helped found it.^[1]

The Society has done this ever since by various means, chief among them being the annual publication of the Journal of Hellenic Studies and, since the 1950s, its supplement, Archaeological Reports, which are both supplied free of charge to members and subscribers of the Society. Occasional monographs have also appeared in the series Supplementary Papers; this series has now been replaced by the Society's Occasional Publications.

Work

The Society is based, together with the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, in the premises of the Institute of Classical Studies of the University of London at the Senate House (University of London).

The Society maintains the Joint Library, in conjunction with the Roman Society, which is integrated into a Combined Library with that of the Institute of Classical Studies.

The Society arranges an annual lecture series in London, conferences, receptions and other meetings, and helps to arrange other lectures all around the UK in collaboration with the local branches of the Classical Association. The Society holds a list of lecturers on topics in Hellenic Studies, which is supplied to Classical Association branches, classical teacher groups, and other organisations to help them plan their own lecture programmes.

The Society aims to help those engaged in Hellenic Studies at all levels, and to this end it makes grants of various kinds to schools, universities and other institutions, undergraduates, graduate students and young researchers.

Officers

These were the officers of the Hellenic Society in 2023-2024:^[2]

President: Professor Paul Cartledge

Vice-Presidents: Professor P.E. Easterling, FBA; Professor Robert Fowler, FBA; Mr Brian Gilmore; Mr. George Lemos; Dr Pantelis Michelakis; Professor Judith Mossman; Dr Margaret Mountford; Professor R. G. Osborne, FBA; Professor C. J. Rowe; Professor Malcolm Schofield, FBA; Professor B. A. Sparkes; Dr David Thomas

Hon. Treasurer: Mr Peter Lennon

Hon. Secretary: Leslie Fitton

Executive Secretary: Dr Fiona Haarer

Membership Officer: Dr Jan Haywood

Presidents

List of presidents since 1879:^[3]

• The Right Revd. J. B. Lightfoot 1879-1890
• Professor Sir Richard Jebb 1890-1905
• Professor Percy Gardner 1905-1910
• Sir Arthur Evans 1910-1914
• Walter Leaf 1914-1919
• Sir Frederic Kenyon 1919-1924
• Arthur Hamilton Smith 1924-1929
• George Macmillan (Acting) 1928-1929
• Professor Ernest Gardner 1929-1932
• Professor R. M. Dawkins 1932-1935
• Sir John Myres 1935-1938
• Sir Richard Livingstone 1938-1941
• Sir Arthur Pickard-Cambridge 1941-1945
• Professor Gilbert Murray 1945-1948
• Professor E. R. Dodds 1948-1951
• Professor T. B. L. Webster 1951-1954
• Professor Dorothy Tarrant 1954-1956
• Professor A. W. Gomme 1956-1959
• Professor R. P. Winnington-Ingram 1959-1962
• Professor A. Andrewes 1962-1965
• Professor N. G. L. Hammond 1965-1968
• Professor E. G. Turner 1968-1971
• Sir Kenneth Dover 1971-1974
• Professor R. Browning 1974-1977
• Professor G. S. Kirk 1977-1980
• Professor P. E. Corbett 1980-1983
• Professor G. B. Kerferd 1983-1986
• Sir David Hunt 1986-1990
• Professor J. P. Barron 1990-1993
• Professor E. W. Handley 1993-1996
• Professor P. E. Easterling 1996-1999
• Professor C. J. Rowe 1999-2002
• Professor R. G. Osborne 2002-2006
• Professor C. B. R. Pelling 2006-2008
• Professor Malcolm Schofield 2008-2011
• Professor Chris Carey 2011-2014
• Professor Robert Fowler 2014-2017
• Professor Judith Mossman 2017- 2020
• Professor Paul Cartledge 2020 - current