John Percival Postgate, FBA (24 October 1853 – 15 July 1926) was an English classicist and academic.

[6] He established himself as a creative editor of Latin poetry with published editions of Propertius, Lucan, Tibullus and Phaedrus.

His major work was the two-volume Corpus Poetarum Latinorum, a triumph of editorial organisation.

[3] Together, they had six children among whom were Raymond Postgate (a journalist, historian, novelist and food writer), and Margaret Cole (a Fabian politician).

[8] Postgate's relationship with his son Raymond and daughter Margaret were strained when they championed pacificism during the First World War.

While he attempted to use his influence behind the scenes to support his son when he was prosecuted for his beliefs, he otherwise disowned him and refused to acknowledge his marriage to Daisy Lansbury.

[3] He was worth £33,029 at the time of his death, the majority of which (£27,000) was donated to the University of Liverpool; it had first been offered to Trinity College, Cambridge, but they refused the legacy.