Humanist · 1466 – 1536
Erasmus
Little-Known Facts
- It was said that 'Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched', though Erasmus disliked the comparison.
- He wrote In Praise of Folly partly as a witty diversion while staying at Thomas More's house.
Myths & Misconceptions
Did Erasmus join the Protestant Reformation?
No — though his criticism of church abuses helped inspire it, Erasmus remained a Catholic and openly broke with Luther over the question of free will.