Jannelle Liu
Mr. Oliphant
History
4 February 2015
Desiderius Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus, also known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, was one of the most influential scholars during the northern Renaissance. Erasmus was born in the Netherlands on October 27, 1466. His father was Roger Gerard, a priest, and his mother was Margaret, the daughter of a physician. Erasmus began his education when he was 4 years old. He attended a school in the town of Gouda. When he was nine, he was sent to a prestigious Latin school by his father. This was where his academic ability was shown. Erasmus’ parents died from the plague in 1483, and he was put into the care of guardians. In the year 1492, Erasmus was forced into a monastery due to poverty. Even though he was a Catholic priest, he never worked actively as a clergy. Erasmus’ skill in Latin impressed Henry de Bergen (the bishop of Chambray), who then made him secretary. This enabled him to travel to Paris, France, to study Latin and classical literature. Because of this, Desiderius was introduced to humanism. When he was in Paris, Erasmus became known for being a great scholar and lecturer. William Blunt, one of Erasmus’ pupils, allowed him to become an independent scholar, moving from city to city by establishing an annuity for him. He also had the chance of lecturing and corresponding to many of the greatest thinkers in Europe. Erasmus traveled to England in 1499, where he met Thomas More and John Colet, who influenced him greatly. In the year 1509, Erasmus published a book called The
