James Theodore Bent , born with Leeds (Yorkshire, the United Kingdom) the March 30th 1852, died in 1897, traveller and British archeologist.

Biography

It made its studies with Malvern Wells then Repton School before joining the Wadham College, with the Université of Oxford, in 1871. It was accepted Bachelor off Arts in 1875 and joined Lincoln' S Inn - institute of legal studies preparing the entry with the Barreau - but never became lawyer. The August 2nd 1877, it married Mabel, girl of Robert Westlay Hall Dare. Endowed for the languages, it shared with his wife a passion for the voyage.

In 1877 ‑ 1878, it accomplished a voyage to San Marino, voyage which gave place to a book in 1879. In 1879-1880, he travelled in Italy, which gave place to a book on Garibaldi in 1881.

A two years tour in the Cyclades with his wife produced in her turn The Cyclades gold Life among the Insular Greeks in 1885.
On the basis of the Pirée, they remained with Syros (November), Sérifos (at the beginning of December), Siphnos, Kimolos before turning over to Syros towards the end of December. They passed Christmas (Latin and not orthodoxe) to Naxos, then the new year with Santorin. They made a return ticket for Anafi. Of Santorin, they went up towards Ios, Sikinos then Folégandros. In February 1884, they were on Paros and Antiparos. They turned over again to Syros. They undertook a new turn of the Cyclades by Mykonos, Délos, Tinos, Andros, Kythnos, Kéa, return to Syros. They passed the Easter to Amorgos. New stop with Syros on the road of the Pirée. It was, at the time of this voyage, the first to reveal the originality of the cycladic civilization.

In 1885-1887, it left again in Égée: he visited Karpathos, Samos and Thasos where he delivered himself to the same work as in the Cyclades: to collect the local traditions and habits, to copy the inscriptions and to excavate to discover old vestiges. He however ran up against the opposition of the Othoman government when he wanted to carry the marbles discovered and bought with Thasos. He published many articles in the Archæological Journal , the Journal off Hellenic Studies or the Journal off the Anthropological Institute . In 1887, it published the inscription S found with Thasos.

In 1888-1889, it left to discovered the towns of Lydae and Césarée at the time of a voyage on the coast of Asia Mineure, whose inscriptions were published in volume X of the Journal off Hellenic Studies .

In 1889, it visited Bahrain and excavated ruins of the civilization phenician. The following year, it was with the tower of the Cilicie Trachée then, in 1891, of the Mashonaland (Zimbabwe), this time without his wife. In 1892, it wrote thus The Ruins off Mashonaland (three editions of 1892 to 1895). In 1893, he ventured in Abyssinie, always without his wife, and published The Sacred Cities off the Ethiopians .

From 1893-1897, it accomplished seven voyages in the Arabic Péninsule, with his wife. At the end of these voyages, he died the May 5th 1897 of a Pneumonie, consequence of a Malaria contracted with Aden. His wife pronounced a conference on these voyages in 1897 and published in 1900 Southern Arabia starting from the notes of her husband.