Damião de Góis
| Damião de Góis | |
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| Born | 2 February 1502 Alenquer, Portugal |
| Died |
30 January 1574 (aged 71) Alenquer, Portugal |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Occupation | Humanist philosopher, historian |
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Damião de Góis (Portuguese pronunciation: [dɐmiˈɐ̃w̃ dɨ ˈɡɔjʃ]) (February 2, 1502 – January 30, 1574), born in Alenquer, Portugal, was an important Portuguese humanist philosopher. He was a friend and student of Erasmus. He was appointed secretary to the Portuguese factory in Antwerp in 1523 by King John III of Portugal. He compiled one of the first accounts on Ethiopian Christianity.
Góis (also Goes) was born in Alenquer, Portugal, into a noble family who served the Portuguese kings – his father, Rui Dias de Gois was a valet to Duke of Aveiro, and his mother was Isabel Gomes de Limi, a descendant of Flemish merchants who established themselves in Portugal. Damiao's paternal grandfather, Gomes Dias de Góis, had been in the entourage of Prince Henry the Navigator. Around 1518, Góis joined the court of King Manuel I of Portugal. Under Manuel I’s successor, King John III of Portugal, in 1523, he was sent to Antwerp, as secretary and treasurer of the Portuguese feitoria (factory, trading post and commercial office). Henceforth, Góis travelled intensely (Poland, Lithuania, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, France, England, Italy), entering into contact with a number of important figures, like Sebastian Münster, Erasmus (who hosted him in Freiburg), Ramusio, Philipp Melanchthon, Thomas More and Martin Luther. Among the many Portuguese acquaintances, Góis was friend of the writers João de Barros and André de Resende. A humanist and an open mind, Góis followed courses at the Universities of Padua and Leuven, wrote on various topics, like the condition of the Sami people ("Lapps"), and translated some classic works – among them, Cicero’s Cato maior de senectute – into Portuguese. He was also a composer of some musical pieces and kept a private collection of paintings.
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