Erasmus

Lore & Background

Erasmus's 69 years may be divided into quarters: first, a medieval Dutch childhood ending with him orphaned and impoverished; second, struggling years as a canon, clerk, priest, failing student, would-be poet, and tutor; third, flourishing High Renaissance years of increasing focus and literary productivity after contact with a reformist English circle including John Colet and Thomas More, then with radical French Franciscan Jean Vitrier, and later with the Greek-speaking Aldine New Academy in Venice; fourth, financially more secure Reformation years in Basel and then as a Catholic religious refugee in Freiburg, engaging with kings and popes. He was a voracious writer from youth, writing or answering up to 40 letters per day, and his writing method involved making categorized notes from his reading, which he stored in boxes and reused to assemble books rapidly.

Reader's Guide

Erasmus was the most popular, most printed, and arguably most influential author of the early sixteenth century, read in all nations in the West and frequently translated. By the 1530s, his writings accounted for 10–20% of book sales in Europe. His New Testament editions, including a revised Vulgate, new Latin translation, Greek text, and paraphrases, formed the basis for the majority of Textus Receptus Protestant translations of the New Testament in the 16th–19th centuries, including those of Martin Luther, William Tyndale, and the King James Version. He developed a biblical humanistic theology advocating peaceable concord and pastoral tolerance on matters of indifference, and remained a member of the Catholic Church all his life, committed to reforming it from within. His middle-road approach disappointed partisans in both the Protestant and Catholic camps. His works, including The Praise of Folly, The Complaint of Peace, and his thousands of letters, continue to be a vital source of information to historians.

Did You Know?

• Erasmus's writings accounted for 10–20% of book sales in Europe by the 1530s.
• He wrote or answered up to 40 letters per day, usually writing them in his own hand early in the morning.
• His New Testament editions formed the basis for the King James Version and translations by Martin Luther and William Tyndale.
• The Catalogue of the Works of Erasmus (2023) runs to 444 entries, almost all from the latter half of his life.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (27 October 1466 – 12 July 1536) was a Dutch philosopher, humanist and theologian." — Erasmus "No Man is wise at all Times, or is without his blind Side." — Erasmus "The Alchymyst, in Colloquies of Erasmus, Volume I." — Erasmus "You must acquire the best knowledge first, and without delay; it is the height of madness to learn what you will later have to unlearn." — Erasmus