Meta Description: Explore the life of Desiderius Erasmus, the Prince of Humanists, on the Ad Navseam Podcast. Discover his rivalry with Martin Luther, his revolutionary work translating the New Testament, and why the Latin language was the “secret code” of the Renaissance.
Introduction: The Prince of Humanists in the Vomitorium
Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 77 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle dive into the deep end of the Renaissance pool to discuss the most important humanist of the era: Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.
Erasmus is a titan of the Latin language. He is the man who laid the egg that Martin Luther hatched, the scholar who dared to correct St. Jerome’s Vulgate, and a figure so complex that he managed to annoy almost everyone in 16th-century Europe. Whether you are interested in the history of the Reformation, the art of translation, or just want to know why melted cheese is a “culinary veil,” this episode serves up a feast for the classical gourmand.
A Hard Luck Story: The Rise of Erasmus
Erasmus’s life began with a tragedy worthy of a Dickens novel. As Dr. Noe recounts from Leon Halkin’s biography, Erasmus was an illegitimate child whose mother died of the plague when he was just 13. His father died shortly after from the same disease, leaving him an orphan forced to exchange the “innocence of childhood for the harsh realities of the adult world.”
Despite this “hard luck story,” Erasmus rose to become the preeminent scholar of his day. He was ordained as a priest, studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, and eventually traveled to England and Italy, the “fatherland of ancient literature.”
His career was defined by a rejection of the “arid rationalism” and “pretentious verbiage” of medieval scholasticism. Instead, Erasmus looked back to the sources (ad fontes), preferring the “pagan Socrates” to the “Christian Scotus,” even daring to pray, “Holy Socrates, pray for us.”
The Clash of Titans: Erasmus vs. Luther
One of the highlights of the episode is the exploration of the feud between Erasmus and Martin Luther. While they initially shared a disdain for corruption in the Church, their personalities were famously incompatible.
- Luther’s View: Luther called Erasmus “Dr. Amphibolus” (Dr. Ambiguous/The Slippery One). He viewed Erasmus as a “profaner” who lacked sincerity because he wouldn’t commit fully to the Reformation, preferring to stay within the Roman church despite his criticisms.
- Erasmus’s View: Erasmus retaliated by calling Luther “Dr. Hyperbolicus” (Dr. Excessive). He saw Luther as a “blasphemer” who was unpredictable and lacked the Aristotelian virtue of moderation.
As Dr. Winkle notes, it was a clash of “incompatible characters” that bogged down in polemic, much like a modern rap battle—or perhaps a Marvel movie villain showdown involving “Jake Gelatinous” (Gyllenhaal).
Erasmus as a Translator: Unlocking the Greek
The core of the episode focuses on the work of scholar Erica Rummel and her book Erasmus as a Translator of the Classics. Rummel argues that for Erasmus, the Greek language was a “secret code” that established an inner circle among scholars.
Erasmus believed that translation was not an end in itself but a “means of perfecting his skills” for the greater task of interpreting scripture.
The Ciceronian Device
How did Erasmus handle the richness of Greek when translating it into the Latin language? He often used a technique called the “Ciceronian device,” where one Greek word is translated by two Latin synonyms to capture the full nuance.
- Example: For the Greek hoplizontes (arming themselves), Erasmus wrote armant ac muniunt (“they arm and fortify themselves”).
- Example: For the Greek kinei (he moves), Erasmus used excitat et movet (“he shakes up and moves”).
This method allowed him to display the “fertile and creative mind” required to bridge the gap between the two languages.
The Scandal of the New Testament
Erasmus’s most significant—and controversial—contribution was his 1516 edition of the Greek New Testament (Novum Instrumentum), accompanied by a new Latin translation.
For over 1,000 years, St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate had been the authoritative text of the Bible. Erasmus dared to correct it. He argued that Jerome had ruined the beauty of the text by missing wordplay.
- The Shepherd Wordplay: In the Gospel of John, the Greek plays on poimene (shepherd) and poimen (sheep). Jerome translated this as pastor and ovum, losing the connection. Erasmus suggested using opilio and ovile to preserve the sound effect.
- The In/Out Wordplay: Erasmus also critiqued Jerome for missing the play on eiserchomenon (going in) and exerchomenon (going out), which the Vulgate rendered flatly as ingreditur and procedit.
By applying the rigorous standards of philology to the Bible, Erasmus was accused of “shaking the foundations of the truth,” yet he maintained that clarity, purity, and stylistic appeal were essential for the translator.
Why You Should Read Erasmus Today
Erasmus’s influence on the Latin language and Western civilization is undeniable. His motto, Concedo Nulli (“I yield to no one”), perfectly captures the spirit of a man who refused to compromise his intellectual standards for anyone—not the Pope, and certainly not Dr. Hyperbolicus.
Whether you are a student of Latin or just a lover of history, Erasmus invites you to look beyond the “arid rationalism” of the past and return to the sources.
Resources Mentioned:
- Hackett Publishing: For affordable translations of Erasmus and the classics (use code AN2022 for 20% off).
- Ratio Coffee: For the perfect brew to fuel your late-night study sessions (use code ANCO for 15% off).
- The Moss Method: Dr. Noe’s program to take you from “neophyte to erudite” in Ancient Greek.
Gustatory Parting Shot:
We leave you with a thought from Alyssa Nutting: “Melted cheese is a culinary veil… a foxhole where mediocrity can hide.”
Don’t let your Latin studies be mediocre nachos. Scrape off the cheese, read the original, and join us next week!
Valete!
