Moses Finley

Sir Moses I. Finley, FBA, (born Moses Isaac Finkelstein; 1912-1986), was a major scholar of Classics and Ancient History. He taught at Columbia University and the City College of New York, where he was influenced by exiled members of the Frankfurt School, before taking a position at Rutgers University. Soon after, Finley was investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee for possible communist affiliation. Refusing to incriminate himself, he took the fifth amendment upon testifying. Though no charges were brought, his refusal resulted in dismissal by the University despite faculty protests. Finley moved to England in 1955, where he taught Classics at Cambridge and became a master at Darwin College. His numerous works include the classic texts Aspects of Antiquity, and The Ancient Economy. Finley was knighted by the Queen for his contributions to scholarship in 1979.