Wilde attends Trinity College in Dublin

In 1871, Oscar Wilde was awarded the Royal School Scholarship allowing him to begin his studies at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland after graduating from Portora Royal School.  While not notably active in the social scene or clubs at the school, Wilde did contribute to the The Journal of Hellenic Studies, that being a peer-reviewed academic journal covering research done on ancient Greek culture. Here Wilde befriended John Pentland Mahaffy, Trinity College's leading Greek scholar. Mahaffey would prove to be where Wilde gained his interest in "The Greek ideal". "The Greek Ideal" being defined by The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine as: "A philosophical ideal of ancient Greeks who believed that each person should have a harmonious blend (sometimes called balance) of physical, mental, and spiritual aspects." Much like Wilde, Mahaffy proved  himself an accomplished writer, pushing works such as Rambles and Studies in Greece (1876), Social Life of Greece from Homer to Menander (1874; 3rd edn. 1877),  and Descartes (1880).

 

After three years of study, Wilde would then transfer to Oxford University on a scholarship in 1874.

Sources:

 http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/wilde/wildebio.html#2

https://poets.org/poet/oscar-wilde

http://www.ricorso.net/rx/az-data/authors/m/Mahaffy_JP/life.htm

https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/85660?redirectedFrom=Hellenistic#eid

Associated Place(s)

Event date:

Autumn 1871 to Spring 1874

Parent Chronology: