Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch humanist, theologian, and philosopher. He was, through his writings and translations, one of the most influential scholars of the Northern Renaissance and a major figure of Western culture. November 6, 1466 – July 12, 1536; died at 69. Alive at the same time as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Christopher Columbus, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Wiki link