Arthur James Beattie (1914-1996)

Beattie was born in 1914 in Belize. His father, a magogany buyer, brought the family back to Scotland when he enlisted in the army after the outbreak of the First World War. He was educated at Montrose Academy and then at the University of Aberdeen, graduating with first-class honours in Classics in 1935. He continued his study at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and also obtained a travelling scholarship from Aberdeen, enabling him to undertake extensive (for the time) travel in Greece and Turkey, becoming familiar with tose countries and also fluent in modern Greek. The Second Worl War saw him serve in the Royal Artillery, moving then into Military Intelligence and achieving the rank of Major.

He returned to academic life taking up a fellowship back at Siney Sussex College, followed by a lectureship in Classics. In 1951, he was apponted to the Chair of Greek at the University of Edinburgh, succeeding Sir William Moir Calder (1881-1960) in a post he held until he retired in 1981. He was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1957.

He served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts, chaired the University Library Committee and was even thought to be heading to succeeed Sir Edward Victor Appleton (1892-1965) as Principal at one point. He also served as a Trustee of the National Library of Scotland, as a Governor of Sedbergh Scouul and as Chairman of the Governors of Morrison's Academy.

Controversy struck in the 1950s and 1960s as Beattie surfaced as a principal opponent of the decipherment of Cretan and Mycean Linear B script. His knowledge of Greek topography fed into a more detailed study of Greek place names in latter years.

He died, after a short illness, on 20 Febrary 1996.