Bonaventura Vulcanius

Bonaventura Vulcanius (30 June 1538, Bruges – 9 October 1614, Leiden) was a Flemish humanist who played a leading role in Northern humanism during the 16th and 17th century.

[1] His father, Pieter de Smet, who was also known by the Latinized version of his name, Petrus Vulcanius ("the blacksmith"), was attorney-general of the Grand Council of Mechlin and counted Erasmus among his friends.

He gave his son a thorough education, and Bonaventura studied first in Ghent, then for two years medicine at the University of Leuven, and finally philosophy and literature at Cologne with George Cassander.

In 1577 he returned to his native Flanders, and became secretary and family tutor of Marnix van Sint Aldegonde, diplomat, burgomaster of Antwerp and friend of William the Silent.

In 1578 he was appointed professor in Latin and Greek at Leiden University, where in 1581 he (finally) arrived and where for 30 years he 'taught the future elite of the Dutch Republic', among them Daniel Heinsius and Hugo Grotius.