In his youth he was a student of Franz Ahrens at the Lyceum in Hanover, afterwards studying classical philology at the University of Leipzig (1875–79).

At Leipzig his influences included Otto Ribbeck and Rudolf Hildebrand.

He earned his habilitation in 1883 and three years later was a professor at the University of Tübingen, succeeding Erwin Rohde.

[1] His works include: "Beiträge zur griechischen Mythologie und Religionsgeschichte" (1886), "Untersuchungen zu den Mimiamben des Herondas" (1892), etc.

He published editions of the poet Herondas, the fables of Babrius, "Anthologia lyrica Graeca" (1897 ff) and was an editor of the journal Philologus.