Ubbo Emmius

Ubbo Emmius (December 5, 1547 – December 9, 1625), historian and geographer, was born at Greetsiel in East Frisia.

After studying at Rostock, he spent two years in Geneva, where he became intimate with Theodore Beza; and returning to the Netherlands was appointed the principal of a college at Norden, a position which he lost in 1587 because, as a Calvinist, he would not subscribe to the confession of Augsburg.

Subsequently he was head of a Latin School in Leer (which was to become the Ubbo-Emmius-Gymnasium later), and in 1594 became rector of the college at Groningen, and when in 1614 this college became a university he was chosen principal and professor of history and Greek, and by his wise guidance and his learning speedily raised the new university to a position of eminence. He was on friendly terms with Louis, count of Nassau; corresponded with many of the learned men of his time; and died at Groningen.

He was twice married, and left a son and a daughter. The chief works of Emmius are:
*"Rerum Frisicarum historiae decades", in six parts, a complete edition of which was published at Leiden in 1616
*"Opus chronologicum" (Groningen, 1619)
*"Vetus Graecia illustrata" (Leiden, 1626)
*"Historia temporis nostri", which was first published at Groningen in 1732An account of his life, written by Nicholas Mulerius, was published, with the lives of other professors of Groningen, at Groningen in 1638.

See NG van Kampen, "Beknopte Geschiedenis der Letteren en Wetenschappen in de Nederlanden" (The Hague, 1821-1826).

References

*1911