Morris Keith Hopkins,FBA (London, 20 June 1934–London, 8 March 2004), was a Britishhistorian andsociologist. He wasprofessor of ancient history at theUniversity of Cambridge from 1985 to 2000.
Hopkins had a relatively unconventional route to the Cambridge professorship. AfterBrentwood School, he graduated inclassics atKing's College, Cambridge in 1958. He spent time as a graduate student, much influenced byMoses Finley, but left before completing his doctorate[1] for an assistant lectureship insociology at theUniversity of Leicester (1961–1963).
Hopkins returned to Cambridge as aresearch fellow at King's College, Cambridge (1963–1967), while at the same time taking alectureship at theLondon School of Economics, before spending two years as professor ofsociology atHong Kong University (1967–1969). After a further two years at the LSE (1970–1972), he moved toBrunel University as professor of sociology in 1972, also serving asdean of the social sciences faculty from 1981 to 1985. He is best known for the bookConquerors and Slaves, in which he argued that ancient historians need not submit to the sources they studied, but instead demanded they be questioned and understood within their larger context. His rethinking of traditionalist methodology, and disagreement with the traditionalistFergus Millar, makes him one of the most influential twentieth-century ancient historians.
In 1985, Hopkins was elected to the Cambridge Chair in Ancient History.[2] The fullest account of his career and significance as an ancient historian is in hisBritish Academy obituary.[3]
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Professor of Sociology, Brunel University 1972–1985 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Professor of Ancient History, Cambridge University 1985–2000 | Succeeded by |
