Hessus, Helius Eobanus

Hessus, Helius Eobanus one of the most excellent Latin poets of Germany during the 16th century, was born January 6, 1488, at Halgehausen, Hesse. He studied at Erfurt, was rector there in 1509, but left that place on account of the then existing troubles. In 1514 he was again at Erfurt, and in 1516 he was professor at the university. In 1526 he was called to Nuremberg, but returned to Erfurt in 1533, and accepted a call to Marburg in 1536. Hessus died October 4, 1540. He deserves a place here on account of his zeal for the Reformation. He made a metrical version of the Psalms, whence Luther called him the rex poetarum. See Schwertzell, Helius Eobanus Hessus, ein Lebensbild aus der Reformationszeit (Halle, 1874); Krause, Helius Eobanus Hessus, sein Leben und seine Werke (Gotha, 1879). (B.P.)