Petrus Bertius (also Peter Bertius; Pieter de Bert) (14 November 1565 – 13 October 1629) was a

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

philosopher, theologian, historian, geographer and cartographer. Bertius published much in mathematics, and historical and theological works, but he is now best known as cartographer with his edition of the ''

Geographia The ''Geography'' ( grc-gre, Γεωγραφικὴ Ὑφήγησις, ''Geōgraphikḕ Hyphḗgēsis'', "Geographical Guidance"), also known by its Latin names as the ' and the ', is a gazetteer, an atlas, and a treatise on cartography, com ...

'' of

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

(based on

Mercator __NOTOC__ Mercator (Latin for "merchant") may refer to: People * Marius Mercator (c. 390–451), a Catholic ecclesiastical writer * Arnold Mercator, a 16th-century cartographer * Gerardus Mercator, a 16th-century cartographer ** Mercator 1569 ...

's edition from 1578), and for its atlas. Petrus Bertius by Vinkeles 1787

Early life

He was born in

Beveren Beveren () is a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders which comprises the towns of Beveren, Doel, Haasdonk, Kallo, Kieldrecht, Melsele, Verrebroek and Vrasene. The port of the Waasland (Dutch: ''Waaslandhaven'') is in Beveren ...

(Alveringem), the son of a Flemish preacher Pieter Michielszoon Bardt, who left Flanders for religious exile in London around 1568, with his family. In 1577 Petrus Bertius returned to the Netherlands, to study at the

University of Leiden Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, as a reward to the city of Le ...

. He supported himself by tutoring younger students and continued travelling in Europe. In 1593 he was appointed to subregent of the Leiden ''Statencollege'', marrying in the same year Maritgen, daughter of Johannes Kuchlinus, the first regent of the ''Statencollege'', whom he would succeed after his death in 1606 as a regent. He was also connected by marriage to

Jodocus Hondius Jodocus Hondius (Latinized version of his Dutch name: ''Joost de Hondt'') (17 October 1563 – 12 February 1612) was a Flemish and Dutch engraver and cartographer. He is sometimes called Jodocus Hondius the Elder to distinguish him from hi ...

and

Pieter van den Keere Pieter van den Keere ( la, Petrus Kaerius 1571 – c. 1646) was a Flemish engraver, publisher and globe maker who worked for the most part of his career in England and the Dutch Republic. Life He was born in Ghent, son of engraver Hendrik van den ...

, his brothers-in-law and both cartographers, and this would influence his later life.Walter A. Goffart, ''Historical atlases: the first three hundred years, 1570-1870'' (2003), p. 70.

Philosophy & theology

Bertius wrote an introduction to

Boethius Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, commonly known as Boethius (; Latin: ''Boetius''; 480 – 524 AD), was a Roman senator, consul, ''magister officiorum'', historian, and philosopher of the Early Middle Ages. He was a central figure in the t ...

's Consolations of Philosophy, which was published in Giovanni Antonio Volpi's edition of the text in 1721. Bertius was a friend of

Jacobus Arminius Jacobus Arminius (10 October 1560 – 19 October 1609), the Latinized name of Jakob Hermanszoon, was a Dutch theologian during the Protestant Reformation period whose views became the basis of Arminianism and the Dutch Remonstrant movement. H ...

, and spoke at his funeral in 1609. A controversy arose with Francis Gomarus, the chief opponent of

Arminianism Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Rem ...

, on the basis of the published version of the funeral oration. Bertius held views on essential doctrines that were unwelcome even to his friends. He was accused of

Semipelagianism Semi-Pelagianism (or Semipelagianism) is a Christian theological and soteriological school of thought on salvation. Semipelagian thought stands in contrast to the earlier Pelagian teaching about salvation, Pelagianism (in which people are born un ...

. In 1612 Bertius published ''Hymenaeus desertor'', a Latin work that went further than Arminius in theology, against the advice of fellow Remonstrants. The ''Hymenaeus desertor'' was widely circulated, but was unpopular:

William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg William Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg ( nl, Willem Lodewijk; fry, Willem Loadewyk; 13 March 1560, Dillenburg, Hesse – 13 July 1620, Leeuwarden, Netherlands) was Count of Nassau-Dillenburg from 1606 to 1620, and stadtholder of Friesland ...

disliked it, and

Johan van Oldenbarnevelt Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (), Heer van Berkel en Rodenrijs (1600), Gunterstein (1611) and Bakkum (1613) (14 September 1547 – 13 May 1619) was a Dutch statesman and revolutionary who played an important role in the Dutch struggle for indepen ...

with other politicians felt that Bertius had gone against them. Bertius persisted, however, in 1613 with a Dutch translation, which he reprinted in 1615 in Leiden. Eventually Bertius lost his teaching position, and was also forbidden to give private lessons.

Later life

In 1618 Bertius was given an appointment as a cosmographer to the court of

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crow ...

. His career in cartography had started in 1598, with the publication of a Latin edition of a miniature atlas ''Caert Thresoor'' by Barent Langenes,Carl Moreland and David Bannister, ''Antique Maps'' (1986), p. 105. which he translated as ''Tabulae contractae'' (1600). His ''Theatrum geographiae veteris'' had commended him to King Louis. When his academic prospects in the Netherlands were cut down, he went to France. In 1620 he converted to the Catholic Church, and became professor of rhetoric at the

Collège de Boncourt The Collège de Boncourt, in the (now) 5th arrondissement of Paris, rue Bordet or Bordeille (modern rue Descartes), was established in 1353 by Pierre Becoud (which became "Boncourt" by alteration) History During the 16th century, comedies and ...

, a part of the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

. In 1622 Louis XIII set up a new personal chair in mathematical sciences in the royal college for Bertius, and granted him the title of royal historian. He died in Paris.

Works

* 1609: ''Liick-oratie over de doot van den Eerweerdighen ende wytberoemden Heere Jacobus Arminius'' * 1612: ''Hymenaeus desertor: sive de sanctorum apostasia problemata duo. (1: An fieri possit ut justus deserat justitam suam? 2: An quae deseritur fuerit vera justitia?)'' * 1616: ''Commentariorum Rerum Germanicarum libri tres'', including commentary on the ''

Tabula Peutingeriana ' (Latin for "The Peutinger Map"), also referred to as Peutinger's Tabula or Peutinger Table, is an illustrated ' (ancient Roman road map) showing the layout of the '' cursus publicus'', the road network of the Roman Empire. The map is a 13th-ce ...

'' * 1619: ''Theatri Geographiae Veteris'', doi:10.3931/e-rara-85904 (Digitized Edition at E-rara). * 1625: ''Notitia Chorographica Episcopatuum Galliae''

Honours

Bertius Inlet in

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

is named after Petrus Bertius.

Notes and references

Citations

Sources

* *

Gallery

File:1602 Gal Belg Vet 29 Bertius Hondius.jpg, Galliae Belgicae Veteris File:1614 Nova Germaniae Bertio.jpg, Nova Germaniae Inferioris File:1616 Zeeland Bertius.jpg, Zeelandia File:1627 Europa Bertius.jpg, Carte de l'Europe File:1640 Afrique Bertius.jpg, Carte de l'Afrique File:1627 Carte de l'Asie Bertius.jpg, Carte de l'Asie File:Iapan-Langenen-1650.jpg, Iapan File:1627 Amerique Bertius.jpg, Carte de l'Amerique

External links

*The Online Books Page: Online Books by Petrus Bertius (Bertius, Petrus, 1565–1629): http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Bertius%2C%20Petrus%2C%201565%2D1629 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bertius, Petrus 1565 births 1629 deaths 17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 16th-century Flemish cartographers Remonstrants People from East Flanders Leiden University alumni Academic staff of the University of Paris 17th-century Dutch theologians