Hymn to Bacchus

Daniel Heinsius was a noted scholar and poet of the Dutch Renaissance. He was praised for his work in translating classical Greek and Latin authors, in particular the works of Aristotle.

He wrote Latin poetry and from 1601 Dutch poetry, including some that was modelled on the classical authors. In 1616 his friend Petrus Scriverius collected his writings together and published them as Nederduytsche poemata. This included the first edition of Hymnus oft Lof-Sanck van Bacchus, an epic poem celebrating the god of wine. This volume is illustrated with 14 fine illustrations.

Heinsius was born in Ghent in 1580 and for the first 16 years of his life he and his parents moved several times because of war in the Low Countries. In 1596 he went to University to study law and in 1598 moved to Leiden University where he remained for the rest of his life.

His abilities in Greek and Latin earned him much praise but he resisted the approaches made by other universities to lure him away from Leiden. By 1605 he was Professor of Greek and by 1614 was also the Professor of History, and had gained the prestigious role of Librarian and Secretary to the University Senate. He died in 1655.

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