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Selections from Erasmus: Principally from his Epistles

Erasmus

A collection of translated letters by Erasmus, revealing his friendships, opinions, and the controversies of his time.

These are Erasmus's own letters, translated, showing his personal relationships and views in his own words.

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About this source

What it is

This book gathers translated selections from the letters of Erasmus, chosen and edited by P. S. Allen. Erasmus wrote originally in Latin, which he used as a living, everyday language.

Why it matters

Letters like these let historians see Erasmus's own voice: his friendships, daily concerns, and the disputes he was part of. The editor notes that the letters also illustrate English life in that period, showing how connected Erasmus was to scholars and events across Europe.

Look closer

  • Why might a translator adjust Erasmus's spelling and grammar instead of leaving it exactly as written?
  • What might be lost in meaning when a letter is translated from Latin into English?
  • What do personal letters reveal that a formal treatise might not?

This letter is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Desiderius Erasmus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Erasmus

Hans Holbein the Younger · 1523

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