About F. W. Walbank
F. W. Walbank, 98, British scholar of Greek history.
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Full Biography
|Frank William Walbank, CBE, FBA (/ˈwɔːlˌbæŋk/; 10 December 1909 – 23 October 2008) was a scholar of ancient history, particularly the history of Polybius. He was born in Bingley, Yorkshire, and died in Cambridge.
Early life and education
Born at Bingley, Yorkshire, son of schoolmaster Albert Joseph David Walbank (1879–1967) and Clarice (1880–1965), née Fletcher, Walbank attended Bradford Grammar School[citation needed] and went on to study Classics at Peterhouse, Cambridge. His father was the son of a cobbler, but had left the family business on winning a scholarship and became a teacher.
Career
From 1951 to 1977, Walbank was Rathbone Professor of Ancient History and Classical Archaeology at the University of Liverpool. After retirement he was a professor emeritus at Liverpool and an Honorary Fellow of Peterhouse.
Walbank held visiting positions at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
Walbank's published works include Aratos of Sicyon (1933), Philip V of Macedon (1940), The Awful Revolution (1946; 1969), Polybius (1972; 1990), A Historical Commentary on Polybius, 3 vols. (1957, 1967, 1979), The Hellenistic World (1981) and, with N.G.L. Hammond, A History of Macedonia, Vol. III: 336–167 BC. He also served as the joint editor of volumes 7 and 8 of the Cambridge Ancient History.
In 1933, Walbank's essay "Aratos of Sicyon" won the Cambridge University Thirlwall Prize. He was elected a foreign member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1981.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._W._Walbank
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from F. W. Walbank's archived record and the sources above.
1.What title did Frank William Walbank hold at the University of Liverpool from 1951 to 1977?
- A.Professor Emeritus
- B.Honorary Fellow
- C.Visiting Professor of Hellenistic Studies
- D.Rathbone Professor of Ancient History and Classical Archaeologycorrect
From 1951 to 1977, Frank William Walbank was the Rathbone Professor of Ancient History and Classical Archaeology at the University of Liverpool.
Source: career section
2.Which university was not listed as a place where Frank William Walbank held a visiting position?
- A.University of California, Berkeley
- B.University of Cambridgecorrect
- C.Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton
- D.University of Pittsburgh
Frank William Walbank held visiting positions at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
Source: career section
3.In what year did Frank William Walbank win the Cambridge University Thirlwall Prize?
- A.1981
- B.1951
- C.1933correct
- D.1967
In 1933, Frank William Walbank's essay 'Aratos of Sicyon' won the Cambridge University Thirlwall Prize.
Source: career section
4.Frank William Walbank co-authored which work with N.G.L. Hammond?
- A.The Awful Revolution
- B.A History of Macedoniacorrect
- C.The Hellenistic World
- D.A Historical Commentary on Polybius
Frank William Walbank co-authored 'A History of Macedonia, Vol. III: 336–167 BC' with N.G.L. Hammond.
Source: career section
5.Frank William Walbank served as the joint editor for which volumes of the Cambridge Ancient History?
- A.Volumes 7 and 8correct
- B.Volumes 5 and 6
- C.Volumes 11 and 12
- D.Volumes 9 and 10
Frank William Walbank served as the joint editor of volumes 7 and 8 of the Cambridge Ancient History.
Source: career section
6.In what year was Frank William Walbank elected a foreign member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences?
- A.1979
- B.1977
- C.1972
- D.1981correct
Frank William Walbank was elected a foreign member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1981.
Source: career section
7.Which of these works was authored by Frank William Walbank in 1940?
- A.Aratos of Sicyon
- B.Philip V of Macedoncorrect
- C.The Hellenistic World
- D.The Awful Revolution
Frank William Walbank published 'Philip V of Macedon' in 1940.
Source: career section
8.Where did Frank William Walbank die?
- A.Cambridgecorrect
- B.Liverpool
- C.London
- D.Bingley
Frank William Walbank was born in Bingley and died in Cambridge.
Source: biographical introduction
9.What role did Frank William Walbank hold at Peterhouse after he retired?
- A.Professor of Classics
- B.Head of Department
- C.Honorary Fellowcorrect
- D.Visiting Scholar
After his retirement from the University of Liverpool, Frank William Walbank was an Honorary Fellow of Peterhouse.
Source: career section
10.Who was the mother of Frank William Walbank?
- A.Clarice Fletchercorrect
- B.Elizabeth David
- C.Mary Beard
- D.Anne Walbank
Frank William Walbank was the son of Albert Joseph David Walbank and Clarice, née Fletcher.
Source: early life and education
11.On what date did Frank William Walbank pass away?
- A.29 May 2013
- B.23 October 2008correct
- C.10 December 1909
- D.19 November 2008
Frank William Walbank died on 23 October 2008.
Source: biographical introduction
12.In which city was Frank William Walbank born?
- A.Cambridge
- B.Bingleycorrect
- C.London
- D.Liverpool
Frank William Walbank was born in Bingley, Yorkshire.
Source: biographical introduction
13.What was the profession of Frank William Walbank's father, Albert Joseph David Walbank?
- A.Archaeologist
- B.Historian
- C.Schoolmastercorrect
- D.Cobbler
Frank William Walbank's father, Albert Joseph David Walbank, was a schoolmaster who had left the family cobbler business.
Source: early life and education
14.At which institution did Frank William Walbank study Classics?
- A.University of Oxford
- B.Bradford Grammar School
- C.University of Liverpool
- D.Peterhouse, Cambridgecorrect
Frank William Walbank went on to study Classics at Peterhouse, Cambridge.
Source: early life and education
15.For what historical figure's history was Frank William Walbank particularly known as a scholar?
- A.Philip V of Macedon
- B.Aratos of Sicyon
- C.Polybiuscorrect
- D.Alexander the Great
Frank William Walbank was a scholar of ancient history, particularly the history of Polybius.
Source: biographical introduction
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