ERASMUS Home page His philosophy The traveler His work ... His house Also available in french and in dutch Who is Erasmus (1469? - 1536) One of the greatest scholar of all times, he was called Prince of the Humanists and lived at the time of the Renaissance, a period of deep changes, characterized by the revision of most concepts and a return to antique sources. The unparalleled popularity he had acquired made him, in his thirties, the eagerly sought after guest of kings and emperors, popes, cardinals, archbishops and bishops, lords and towns councilors, university heads, ... all people who were enjoying distinguished places in these days society. His best known work is the Praise of folly that he wrote on his way back from Italy, a pamphlet mainly directed against the behavior of leading classes and church dignitaries while ironizing about mankind vanities.
He devoted himself to - the defense of elegance and purity of Latin, the international and cultural language at the time,
- the revision of Christian traditions, fighting for a clearer and more humane approach of religion,
- the renewal of the educational system from the publishing of grammars, treaties on children education to the creation of the "Trilingual College" in Leuven.
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