Petrus Opmeer (1526–1594) was a Dutch Catholic historian and controversialist. According to his biographer Valerius Andreas, Opmeer was a friend of "painters, sculptors and architects", including

Maarten van Heemskerck Maarten van Heemskerck (born Maerten Jacobsz van Veen; 1 June 1498 – 1 October 1574), also known as Marten Jacobsz Heemskerk van Veen, was a Dutch portrait and religious painter, who spent most of his career in Haarlem. He was a pupil of Jan ...

Pieter Aertsen Pieter Aertsen (1508, Amsterdam – 2 June 1575, Amsterdam), called ''Lange Piet'' ("Tall Pete") because of his height, was a Dutch painter in the style of Northern Mannerism. He is credited with the invention of the monumental genre scene, whi ...

Frans Floris Frans Floris, Frans Floris the Elder or Frans Floris de Vriendt (17 April 15191 October 1570) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman, print artist and tapestry designer. He is mainly known for his history paintings, allegorical scenes and portraits. ...

Antonis Mor Anthonis Mor, also known as Anthonis Mor van Dashorst and Antonio Moro (c. 1517 – 1577), was a Netherlandish Portrait painting, portrait painter, much in demand by the courts of Europe. He has also been referred to as Antoon, Anthonius, Anthoni ...

and

Philip Galle Philip (or Philips) Galle (1537 – March 1612) was a Dutch publisher, best known for publishing old master prints, which he also produced as designer and engraver. He is especially known for his reproductive engravings of paintings. Life Galle ...

Life

Petrus was born in Amsterdam on 13 September 1526, the son of Pieter van Opmeer and Maria van Akersloot. Throughout his life, he demonstrated a great love of learning and had the family resources to pursue his interests. He was educated in Amsterdam at the school run by Alard van Amsterdam and Nicolaas Cannius, spent time in

Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...

, then went to

Tournai Tournai ( , ; ; ; , sometimes Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicised in older sources as "Tournay") is a city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, Province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies by ...

to learn French and mathematics. At the age of 19, he married Sophia Sasbout, and went to

Delft Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...

to study Greek with Petrus Resenius, rector of the

Latin school The Latin school was the grammar school of 14th- to 19th-century Europe, though the latter term was much more common in England. Other terms used include Lateinschule in Germany, or later Gymnasium. Latin schools were also established in Colon ...

. He was studying civil and canon law at Leuven University when the

Dutch Revolt The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Reformation, centralisation, exc ...

broke out, prompting him to switch to theology. After the murder of Cornelis Musius, Opmeer offered his services to the

Army of Flanders The Army of Flanders (; ) was a field army of the Spanish Army based in the Spanish Netherlands between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was one of the longest-serving field armies of the early modern era, being founded in 1567 and disbanded in 170 ...

and was appointed secretary to the Council of War by Francisco de Valdez. After the Siege of Leiden, he returned to his native Amsterdam, until the city was lost to the rebels in 1578 and Catholic worship was prohibited. He then moved to Delft and lived there the rest of his life, dying on 4 November 1594, and being buried in the Oude Kerk. His son, Petrus Opmeer the Younger, published a number of his writings posthumously. A. J. van der Aa, ''Biografisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden'' 14 (Haarlem, 1867), 182-185.

Writings

Vincent of Lérins Vincent of Lérins (; died ) was a Gallic monk and author of early Christian writings. One example was the '' Commonitorium'', c.434, which offers guidance in the orthodox teaching of Christianity. Suspected of semi-Pelagianism, he opposed ...

, ''Een seer schoon boecxken voor die outheijt ende waerheijt des gemeene christen gheloofs, teghens die Godloose niewicheijden alder ketterijen'', translated by Petrus Opmeer (Haarlem, 1561) *''Officium Missae apud Ecclesiam tempori quatuor primorum conciliorum generalium in usu fuisse historica Assertio'' (Antwerp,

Plantin Press The Plantin Press at Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest ...

for Simon Pauli of Delft, 1570) *''Responsio ad VIII articulos, a Leone Empacio, adversus Assertionem suam propositos'' (Antwerp, Plantin Press, 1570) *''Opus chronographicum orbis universi a mundi exordio usque ad annum 1611'', volume 1 (Antwerp, 1611). The second volume was the work of Laurentius Beyerlinck. *''Historia Martyrum Batavicorum sive Defectionis a fide Maiorum Hollandiae initia'' (Cologne, 1625) **''Martelaarsboek, ofte historie der Hollantsche martelaren, welken in het christen catholyk geloof en godsdienst, soo ten tijde van de woeste heidenen, als der Hervormde nieugesinden seer wreed sijn omgebragt'' (3 vols., Antwerp, 1700-1702)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Opmeer, Petrus 1526 births 1594 deaths Writers from Amsterdam Martyrologists