Desiderius Erasmus

Desiderius Erasmus (1467-1536), full name Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, also known as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a famous Dutch scholar, Christian humanist, Catholic theologian, educationalist, satirist and philosopher. This man man of letters, was born at Rotterdam. He was son of one Gerhard and born out of wedlock. He conceived a disgust for monkish life during six years' residence in a monastery at Steyn. He wandered through Europe and amassed stores of learning at various universities. In 1489, he visited Oxford, and formed a lifelong friendship with Sir Thomas More. For some years he was professor of Divinity and Greek at Cambridge. He edited the first Greek Testament. He settled finally at Basel, whence he exercised a remarkable influence over European thought by the wit and tone of his writings, notably the "Praise of Folly," the "Colloquia" and "Adagia". He has been regarded as the precursor of the Reformation. He is said to have laid the egg which Luther hatched. He aided the Reformation by his scholarship, though he kept aloof as a scholar from the popular movement of Luther.

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