Tsereteli Grigol

Tsereteli Grigol (1870–1938), Philologist, expert in Hellenic culture, one of the founders of papyrology science in the USSR, Corresponding Member of Russian Academy of Sciences (1917). Till 1920 he lived and worked in Petersburg. He graduated from the Faculty of History and Philology of Petersburg University (1893). He was the privat-docent of the same University (1902-04), Professor of Yuriev (Tartu) University (1905-14) and Professor and Head of the Chair of Philology of Petersburg University (1914-20). In 1914 G. Tsereteli was granted the degree of the Doctor of Greek Language and Literature. On I. Javakhishvili’s invitation he moved to Georgia in 1920 to work at Tbilisi State University. In 1920-1938 he headed the Chair of Classic Philology of Tbilisi State University and at the same time he held the position of the Director of the library of the same University. He was the author of the works on the history of Greek paleography, script and literature. He greatly contributed to the study of Greek, Georgian and Russian papyri collections and translation of classic literature into Russian. He was the first to translate Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes and Mimiambs of Herodas.

G. Tsereteli fell victim to the Communist repressions of 1930s.