Erastus [Lieber], Thomas

1. Dates

Born: Baden, Switzerland 7 Sept. 1524

Died: Basel, Switzerland 1 Jan 1583

Dateinfo: Dates Certain

Lifespan: 59

2. Father

Occupation: Artisan

In regard to his education it is stated that Erastus came from a poor family.

3. Nationality

Birth: Swiss

Career: German and Swiss

Death: Swiss

4. Education

Schooling: Basel; Bologna, M.D.; Padua

Studied theology and philosophy at Basel 1540 - 1544. I assume B.A.

Studied medicine at Bolgna and Padua 1544 - 1555. MD 1552 from Bologna.

One account refers to an unnamed and wholly unidentified "Maecenas" who made possible Erastus' medical education. Erastus was from a poor family.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Calvinist

Calvinist (or better, Reformed, or Zwinglian) "Erastian": anti-Calvinist on this issue; the state has supremacy in all ecclesiastical affairs.

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Natural Philosophy And Medicine

7. Means of Support

Primary: Medicine, Academia

Secondary: Patronage

Sucessful medical practice.

1555 at Meiningen, physician to Count William of Henneberg.

1558, became professor of medicine at Heidelberg and physician to the Elector.

Already in 1559 he was elected Rector of the university.

1580 his Erastianism led to a fall from the favor of Frederick III, elector Palatine; left Heidelberg for Basel, where he became professor of theology and moral philosophy.

8. Patronage

Types: Aristrocrat, Court Official, City Magistrate

Count William of Henneberg.

Frederick III of the Palatine before he fell from favor.

Dedicated a book to three Basel Ratsherrn.

The theologian J.J. Grynaeus, who had married the sister of Erastus's wife, took them in when they emigrated from Heidelberg and helped Erastus get the appointment at Basel Univ and acceptance by the Collegium medicorum.

9. Technological Involvement

Type: Medical Practice

10. Scientific Societies

Membership: Medical College

Informal: correspondence with various medical men.

Formal: Basel Collegium medicorum.

Sources

1. J. Karcher, "Thomas Erastus (1524 - 1583), der unversöhnliche Gegner des Theophrastus Paracelsus," Gesnerus, 14 (1957), 1 - 13--mostly about his time in Heidelberg with just a little about Basel.
2. M. Adam, Vitae Germanorum Medicorum, (Heidelberg, 1620), 242 - 246.
3. Allgemeine deutsche Biographie.
4. Neue deutsche Biographie (Berlin, 1952- ).
5. DSB gives other sources on his science and theology.

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University

Note: the creators of the Galileo Project and this catalogue cannot answer email on geneological questions.