Karl Friedrich Hermann

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Karl Friedrich Hermann (August 4, 1804–December 31, 1855), was a German classical scholar and antiquary.

He was born at Frankfurt-am-Main. Having studied philosophy at the universities of Heidelberg and Leipzig(and taking a degree in 1826), he went on a tour of Italy, on his return from which he lectured as Privatdozent in Heidelberg. In 1832, he was appointed to the chair of philosophy at University of Marburg, and in 1833 received the additional offices of second librarian to the university, and director of the philological seminary. He was appointed professor ordinarius of classical literature at the and in 1842 he was transferred to Göttingen to the chair of philology and archaeology, vacant by the death of Otfried Müller.

His knowledge of all branches of classical learning was profound, but he was chiefly distinguished for his works on Greek antiquities and ancient philosophy. Among these may be mentioned the Lehrbuch der griechischen Antiquitaten (new ed., 1889) dealing with political, religious and domestic antiquities; the Geschichte und System der Platonischen Philosophie (1839), unfinished; an edition of the Platonic Dialogues (6 vols, 1851-1853); and Culturgeschichte der Griechen und Römer (1857-1858), published after his death by CG Schmidt. He also edited the text of Juvenal and Persius (1854) and Lucian's De conscribenda historia (1828). A collection of Abhandlungen und Beitrage appeared in 1849.

See M Lechner, Zur Erinnerung an K. F. Hermann (1864), and article by C Halm in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, xii. (1880).