Johann Georg Graevius

Johann Georg Graevius (1632-1703), German antiquary, classical scholar, and critic, was born on 29 January 1632 in Naumburg, Saxony. After initially considering a career in the law, he turned instead to philology, and completed his studies at Leiden and Amsterdam. In 1656 he was called to the chair of rhetoric at the University of Duisburg. He moved to Deventer in 1658, before taking the chair of rhetoric, and later history and politics, at the University of Utrecht. Graevius was historiographer to William III of England. He developed catalogues of Roman and Italian antiquities. His two most important works are the Thesaurus antiquitaturn Romanarum (12 volumes, 1694-1699) and the Thesaurus antiquitatum et historiarum Italiae, published after his death (1704-1725). He died at Utrecht on 11 January 1703.

Denis Ptau (1583-1652), theologian and Jesuit, taught rhetoric and positive theology, and developed a wide reputation in his lifetime for his works on chronology. He also wrote on history, philosophy, polemics, patristics, and the history of dogma.

From the guide to the Johann Georg Graevius: Animadversiones ad Petavii, 1697, (Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives)