# Antônio Mendonça (latinist)

Antônio da Silveira Mendonça (February 3, 1930 – November 28, 2023) was a Brazilian Latin scholar, educator, and translation expert. He was an tenured professor at several Brazilian universities, where he studied classical literature. His work in developing classical studies programs had a lasting impact on education and academia in Brazil.

## Early life and education

Mendonça was born in 1930, in Santa Lúcia, São Paulo, Brazil. His childhood was marked by the death of his father, which led him to pursue a vocation in the religious career of the Roman Catholic Church during his adolescence.
At the age of 12, Mendonça was taken in by priests from a church in São Carlos, in the interior of the state of São Paulo. He began his studies there and excelled academically, leading to him being sent to Italy to study theology. However, he later abandoned this path, returned to Brazil, and pursued a secular liberal arts.
He studied classical languages and became involved in the fields of Latin and Ancient Greek. Mendonça graduated with a Letters degree before earning his postgraduate qualifications, thus beginning his long academic career.

## Academic career

Mendonça was a professor at the University of São Paulo (USP) for over four decades, specializing in Latin and Classical Studies. In the 1980s, he was a key figure in establishing the Department of Classical Languages at the University of Campinas (Unicamp). At USP, Mendonça taught and advised graduate students, continuing his work after his retirement, and shaping the next generation of scholars in his field.
Throughout his career, he translated several works from Latin into Portuguese, including De Pictura by Leon Battista Alberti, Naturalis Historia by Pliny the Elder, and Bellum Catilinae by Sallust.
Mendonça taught Portuguese at Colégio Santa Cruz in São Paulo from the 1960s into the 1980s. Former students have recalled that, although his approach was rigorous, he demonstrated genuine care for and interest in their academic growth.

## Translation work

Mendonça's extensive translation work included important texts from Latin, such as Bellum Civile by Julius Caesar and works by Pliny the Elder. He also translated from Greek and Italian, contributing to the accessibility of classical texts in Portuguese. His translations have been recognized for their scholarly accuracy and literary quality, making ancient works more accessible to Brazilian readers.

## Personal life

Outside of the lecture hall, Mendonça admired music and had an interest in samba and MPB (Brazilian Pop), which reflected his love for Brazilian culture. He also appreciated classical music, Gregorian chants (reflecting his experiences with the Church), and French chanson music by Édith Piaf.
Mendonça also had an interest in sports and was a lifelong fan of football, supporting the Palmeiras football club. He also enjoyed playing tennis.
As a polyglot, Mendonça could speak, teach, and read in Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, Italian, French, and Latin.
Mendonça died from a cerebrovascular accident on November 28, 2023, at the age of 93. His legacy as a scholar and educator continues to influence classical scholarship and education in Brazil. His extensive body of translated work is still included in university curricula, contributing to the modern understanding of ancient texts.