Theodor MommsenTheodor Mommsen was born on November 30, 1817, in Garding, Germany, to Jens Mommsen, a Lutheran minister, and Sophie Elisabeth Mommsen. Raised in a household that valued education and intellectual discipline, he developed a passion for classical studes early on. He pursued law and philology at the University of Kiel, where his interest in Roman history deepened. Mommsen's academic journey took him to Italy, where he conducted fieldwork that shaped his understanding of ancient civilizations. A brilliant historian and jurist, he became known for his work on Roman law and epigraphy. He held academic positions in Leipzig, Zurich, Breslau, and ultimately Berlin, where he was a professor at the University of Berlin. Beyond academia, Mommsen was politically active and supported liberal causes and German unification. He was elected to the Prussian and German parliaments. In 1902, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature for his monumental work The History of Rome, celebrated for its scholarly rigor and vivid prose. He married Marie Reimer in 1854, and they had several children. He remained intellectually active until his death on November 1, 1903, in Charlottenburg, Berlin, leaving a lasting legacy in classical scholarship and historical writing. Read More Read Less