Humanist, Inspiration, and Tutor

Abstract The life and influence of Erasmus of Rotterdam clearly showed how international Europe was during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Even in remote Scotland, a place Erasmus never visited, he both influenced the direction of Scotland and was influenced himself by the northern nation on the Isle of Great Britain. By 1500, Scotland had three universities, but they focused less on graduate level study, so many Scots intellectuals traveled to Europe where they met Erasmus and/or were influenced by his ideas. In addition, James IV was Scotland’s first truly Renaissance king who, on becoming impressed with the work of Erasmus partially through these Scottish scholars, hired the Dutch humanist as a tutor for his illegitimate sons, including the Archbishop of St. Andrews. Through these connections, Erasmian humanism spread in Scotland, and Erasmus himself adjusted his own writings on war due to the Scottish Battle of Flodden. Even after his death, Erasmus continued to influence Scotland through intellectual developments, particularly in regard to political theory. This article delves deeply into the connections and influences between Scotland and Erasmus in the sixteenth century.