Arthur M. Eckstein
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Nos declamaturi hunc salutamus, studiosissimum rerum gestarum antiquarum hodiernarumque disceptationum, cuius intellegentia sagax provocantiaque scripta demonstrant sine ulla dubitatione non solum scientiam gratia scientiae sed etiam, quam verissime, artem gratia artis esse magni momenti.14 Natus et nutritus apud civitatem inveniendo laetantem,15 tres gradus est adeptus—Baccalaurei Magistrique Artium et Philosophiae Doctoris—apud duas universitates laudandas, [End Page 485] alteram ursos fulvos alentem,16 alteram ursos aureos,17 ambas lucem fieri iubentes.18 Composuit, in sex libris et pluribus operibus brevioribus, de rebus diversis— historia religioneque rei publicae Romanae, auctu dominationis imperialis in regione maris medii, scriptore fabulae vaticinatae dirissimum posterum tempus, pelliculis scaenicis de exploratoribus gladiatoribusque, coniuratione ab iuvenibus ludentibus facta, se conferentibus auguribus tempestatum. Apud universitatem coronantem nos scuto bonae voluntatis eius,19 coronatus laureatusque praestitit eruditione liberalitateque. Plaudamus igitur Arthur M. Eckstein.
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We who are about to declaim salute a man deeply engaged with both ancient history and today’s political controversies, whose keen intelligence and challenging writings prove beyond doubt not only the importance of expert knowledge for its own sake but also, most truly, the importance of art for art’s sake. Born and reared in California, he received three degrees from its two leading universities: a BA and MA from the University of California at Los Angeles, a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley. He has written six books, and numerous book chapters and articles, about such diverse topics as Roman republican history and religion, Mediterranean imperialism, the novelist George Orwell, the films The Searchers and Gladiator, and the Weather Underground. At the University of Maryland, College Park, he has been recognized as a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and a Distinguished University Professor for his learning and generosity. Let us thus applaud Arthur M. Eckstein. [End Page 486]
Footnotes
14. Ars Gratia Artis, motto of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Studios in Hollywood, where the honoree grew up.
15. Eureka, “I have found it,” motto of the state of California from its gold rush days.
16. The (brown) bruins, nickname of UCLA.
17. The golden bears, nickname of Berkeley.
18. Fiat lux, motto of the University of California.
19. Scuto bonae voluntatis tuae coronasti nos, “You have crowned us with the shield of your good will,” motto of the state of Maryland.
