Erasmus and His Times: Selections from the Letters of Erasmus and His Circle

by Erasmus, G. S. Facer

These letters to and from Erasmus introduce students to a lively form of Latin and an exciting period of Western history. The letters are of historical importance or deal with matters of compelling human interest, making this a fascinating volume. The book includes biographical material, notes, and vocabulary. Also available: Medieval Mosaic: A Book of Medieval Latin Readings - ISBN 0865165432
Jesuit Latin Poets of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries: An Anthology of Neo-Latin Poetry - ISBN 0865162158 For over 30 years Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers has produced the highest quality Latin and ancient Greek books. From Dr. Seuss books in Latin to Plato's Apology , Bolchazy-Carducci's titles help readers learn about ancient Rome and Greece; the Latin and ancient Greek languages are alive and well with titles like Cicero's De Amicitia and Kaegi's Greek Grammar . We also feature a line of contemporary eastern European and WWII books. Some of the areas we publish in include: Selections From The Aeneid
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144 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1988

About the author

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (28 October 1466 – 12 July 1536), known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian.

Erasmus was a classical scholar and wrote in a pure Latin style. Among humanists he enjoyed the sobriquet "Prince of the Humanists", and has been called "the crowning glory of the Christian humanists". Using humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament, which raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation. He also wrote On Free Will, The Praise of Folly, Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style, Julius Exclusus, and many other works.

Erasmus lived against the backdrop of the growing European religious Reformation, but while he was critical of the abuses within the Catholic Church and called for reform, he kept his distance from Luther and Melanchthon and continued to recognise the authority of the pope, emphasizing a middle way with a deep respect for traditional faith, piety and grace, rejecting Luther's emphasis on faith alone. Erasmus remained a member of the Roman Catholic Church all his life, remaining committed to reforming the Church and its clerics' abuses from within. He also held to the Catholic doctrine of free will, which some Reformers rejected in favor of the doctrine of predestination. His middle road approach disappointed and even angered scholars in both camps.

Erasmus died suddenly in Basel in 1536 while preparing to return to Brabant, and was buried in the Basel Minster, the former cathedral of the city. A bronze statue of him was erected in his city of birth in 1622, replacing an earlier work in stone.

Reviews

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect introduction into the life and times of one of the world's great humanists. Oddly enough, I remember reading it on the way to an Anime convention.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erasmus is awesome! Superb Latinity and interesting passages depicting the life of a literary vagrant. Harder than medieval/biblical authors. Not as difficult as classical poetry.