Desiderius Erasmus
Renaissance humanist
Dutch theologian, writer and 'prince of the humanists' (c. 1466-1536).
Illegitimate son of a priest sent to a monastery he hated, eventually escaped to become Europe's most famous scholar. His critical Greek New Testament opened doors Luther later kicked down. His satirical Praise of Folly helped fuel the Reformation — but Erasmus refused to break with Rome, getting attacked from both sides.
Famous for
- The Praise of Folly
- Greek New Testament (1516)
- Adagia (collection of 4000+ proverbs)
- Influential humanist correspondence network
In Rubicon
Desiderius Erasmus is one of the historical characters you can play as in Rubicon, a trivia game where you answer in your own words and an AI judge reads what you meant. Desiderius Erasmus is filed under Language & Communication, and is strongest at Language & Communication and History & Civilization.