Harold North Fowler was an influential American classicist, archaeologist, and translator active during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born in 1859, Fowler made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greece, most notably through his translations of classical texts. He served as the original translator for several of Plato's dialogues and works by Plutarch for the prestigious Loeb Classical Library, making these foundational texts accessible to a broader English-speaking audience. In addition to his translations, he edited numerous textbooks for academic use.
Beyond his textual scholarship, Fowler was a pioneering figure in classical archaeology. He held the distinction of being the very first student enrolled at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, an institution with which he maintained a lifelong connection. Throughout his career, he frequently returned to the school, eventually chairing its publications committee and authoring and revising critical archaeological reports on the Erechtheum.
Fowler also played a crucial role in resolving historical and geographical debates in Greece. As the editor-in-chief of the Corinth publications, he conducted extensive research into the diolkos, the ancient paved trackway used to transport ships across the Isthmus of Corinth. Fowler successfully argued that the diolkos began south of the western mouth of the Gulf of Corinth, a theory that was later validated by excavations conducted by the Greek Ministry of National Education. He was married to Mary Blackford Fowler and passed away in 1955.
