P. S. Derow

Professor Thomas Harrison's obituary for P. S. Derow [21 December] captured well the genial essence of the man, writes Professor Anthony Snodgrass, yet omitted one area of his subject's vigorous activity: Derow's work for the movement to reunite the Parthenon Marbles in Athens.

Peter did not merely support this cause, but promoted it so forcefully that, on one occasion when a trustee of the British Museum was a guest at a dinner in Wadham College and confronted Peter, the alarmed trustee withdrew in such dismay as to make him later renege on a proffered lunch meeting with another campaigner (myself). So I never got to hear what exactly Peter had said to him, but clearly it exemplified that strength of opinion which, though usually cloaked by geniality, was equally central to his character.