Pieter Gillis

Pieter Gillis (28 July 1486 6 or 11 November 1533), known by his anglicised name Peter Giles and sometimes the Latinised Petrus Ægidius, was a humanist, printer, and secretary to the city of Antwerp in the early sixteenth century.[2] He is most famous as a friend and supporter of Rodolphus Agricola, Desiderius Erasmus and Thomas More.

Peter Giles
BornJuly 28, 1486
Died6 or 11 November 1533 (aged 47)
Antwerp
NationalityFlemish
Other namesPetrus Ægidius, Peter Giles, Peter Gilles
Occupationmagistrate of Antwerp[1]
Known forfriendship with Sir Thomas More
Spouse(s)Cornelia Sandrien, Maria Denis Adriaensdochter, Kathelijne Draeckx[2]

Thomas More's Utopia, although fictional, includes Pieter Gillis as a character in Book I. More dedicated Utopia to Gillis, who may have designed the Utopian alphabet. They first met when diplomatic business brought More to Antwerp.[1]

References

  1. William Holden Hutton, Sir Thomas More, London: Methuen & Co., 1895 (available through Google Books)
  2. Centrum Pieter Gillis, University of Antwerp (in Dutch)


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