He probably studied in Utrecht and certainly in Amsterdam under the friendly guidance of Gerhard Johann Vossius.
With Gerhard's son Isaac Vossius, who in 1648 became court librarian in Uppsala, he went to Sweden as an amanuensis.
On 12 April 1648 Tollius was appointed professor of history and Greek at the University of Harderwijk, where he was also secretary of the College of Curators.
In January 1654 he succeeded Georgius Hornius as professor of history, political science, and geography.
He died in Gouda, still a young man, while his contemporaries had high expectations of him.