Metius

Metius is a Latinized surname that appears in historical records associated with a small group of Dutch scholars from the late Renaissance and early modern period. During this era, it was common for learned authors to publish under Latinized names, which facilitated international communication within the European scholarly community. The Metius name is found in Latin-language works and correspondence produced in the Dutch Republic, reflecting the broader humanist and scientific networks of the time.

The bearers of the Metius name were active in fields central to early modern science and scholarship, including mathematics, astronomy, geography, and related disciplines. Their publications and teaching activities contributed to the diffusion of new ideas and methods across universities, print shops, and academies in cities such as Amsterdam, Leiden, and their intellectual circles. As with many scholars of the period, biographical details about individual Metii can be fragmentary, and information is often scattered across archival records, bibliographies, and Latin editions.

In contemporary reference works, Metius is retained as a historic surname used by several figures who participated in the widening circle of European science and letters during the late 1500s and early 1600s. The name is primarily of interest to specialists in early modern Dutch science, the history of mathematics and astronomy, and the study of Latinization practices in scholarly publishing.