T. Rice Holmes


Thomas Rice Edward Holmes, FBA, who usually published his works under the names T. Rice Holmes or T.R.E. Holmes, was a scholar best known for his extensive and "fundamental" work on Julius Caesar and his Gallic War commentaries.
Holmes was born at Moycashel, Ireland. He was the fifth son of Robert Holmes, a landed proprietor and a descendant of John Arbuthnot, a friend of Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift.
Holmes was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and Christ Church, Oxford. He was assistant master at Lincoln Grammar School, Blackheath Proprietary School, and St. Paul's School. In 1888, he married Isabel Isaacs, the daughter of Lionel Isaacs of Mandeville, Jamaica. They lived at 11 Douro Place, Kensington.
In addition to his books, Holmes published a number of articles in the English Historical Review, Classical Quarterly, and other journals. He died at age 78 in Roehampton, London.

Books

Holmes wrote several articles, and Bill Thayer has documented "a flurry of argument and counter-argument" among Holmes and other scholars on the identity of the Portus Itius named by Caesar. These appear at LacusCurtius in hypertext editions:
  • F.J. Haverfield, review of Holmes' Caesar's Conquest of Gaul and Camille Jullian's Vercingétorix, English Historical Review 18 332–336.
  • T. Rice Holmes, "Last Words on Portus Itius," Classical Review 23 77–81.
  • H. Stuart Jones takes Holmes to task while reviewing Ancient Britain and the Invasions of Julius Caesar in English Historical Review 24 115–116 and 604
  • T. Rice Holmes, "An Explanation," Classical Review 26 70.
  • F.J. Haverfield, "Portius Itius," Classical Review 27 258–260.
  • T. Rice Holmes, "F.H. on Portius Itius," Classical Review 28 45–47.
  • F.J. Haverfield, "Portus Itius," Classical Review 28 82–84.
  • T. Rice Holmes, "Portus Itius," Classical Review 28 193–196.
  • E.E. Genner, "Portus Itius," Classical Review 32 70.
Holmes' "The Battle-field of Old Pharsalus," Classical Quarterly 2 271–292 is also republished at LacusCurtius.

Biographical sources

  • Nature 132 342, obituary
  • Who's Who 1900, vol. 52, p. 532