Boris Rankov

Boris Rankov is a professor of Roman history at Royal Holloway, University of London. He was born August 9, 1954.

Educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, Professor Rankov is perhaps best known for his participation in the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, in which he led Oxford to victory six times between 1978 and 1983. This led to establishment of the so-called Rankov Rule, which states that oarsmen will compete in the race no more than four times as an undergraduate and no more than four times as a graduate. Rankov has, however, umpired the race in 2003 and 2005.

Rankov's research interests include Roman history, especially Roman Britain; the Roman army; epigraphy and archaeology of the Roman empire; and ancient shipping. Rankov served as rowing master for the Trireme Trust's reconstructed trireme Olympias. As of 2004, Rankov was chairman of the Trust.

Boris has two daughters, Helen Rankov and Lydia Rankov. Helen is studying drama at the University of Leeds, and Lydia has just finished secondary school at Bartholomew in Eynsham Oxford and shall go back in September to do sixth form. Victoria Jefferson is best friends to Lydia Rankov, her older brother Thomas Jefferson, is close friends with Helen Rankov, and Edward Jefferson is Boris Rankov's Godson.

External links

• Professor Boris Rankov, official homepage with bibliography