PLATTER, THOMAS

born Feb. 10, 1499, Grchen, Switz. died Jan. 26, 1582, Basel Swiss writer and humanist known for his autobiography. After years of hardship, spent as a goatherd in the Alps and as a scholar's assistant in Germany, Platter was initiated at Zrich into Huldrych Zwingli's teachings and the newly discovered world of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew culture. Moving to Basel, Platter first made his living as a ropemaker but contributed to the renown of this great centre of humanistic learning by teaching Hebrew, working as partner to the printer Andrew Cratander, and, after 1541, reforming Basel grammar school. His autobiography, completed in 1576, an important document of the period, tells the story of his lifelong struggle against heavy odds in self-education.