BECKER, WILHELM ADOLF German classical archaeologist, was born in Dresden. In 1842 he was appointed professor of archaeology at Leipzig. The works by which Becker is most widely known are the Gallus or Romische Scenen aus der Zeit Augusts (1838, new ed. by Goll, 188o-82) and the Charicles or Bilder altgriechischer Sitte (1840, new ed. by Goll, 1877-78), which describe the everyday life of the ancient Greeks and Romans in the form of a romance. More important is the great Handbuch der rom. Alterthumer (1843-68), completed after Becker's death by Marquardt and Mommsen. Other works of his are De Comicis Romanorum Fabulis (1837), De Romae Veteris Muris atque Portis (1842), Die romiscile Topographie in Rom (1844), and Zur romischen Topographie