Birth of Erasmus

Erasmus was born on 28 October 1466 in Rotterdam. A Dutch humanist and priest, Erasmus was the leading scholar of northern Europe in the early sixteenth century. His edition of the Greek New Testament in 1516 challenged the authority of the Latin Vulgate, and works such as The Praise of Folly mocked clerical corruption and scholastic pedantry with sharp wit. He called for reform of the Church and a simple, inward piety, yet refused to break with Rome, which led to a famous dispute with Martin Luther over free will. He spent much of his life in Basel, Leuven and other centers of learning.

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