Summary:

Summary of the life of Theodore Antonides:

From his birth to his youth:

The exact year of birth of Theodorus Antonides is unknown. In literature, the year 1647 is often mentioned, but sources for this are lacking. In the DTB registers in the Groningen Archives, there is also no trace of the baptism of Theodorus Antonides. The baptismal registers of Farmsum from that period are also untraceable. Moreover, there is no trace of his existence before 1684. There is still a hypothesis that assumes that Theodorus Antonides was born around 1662.

Opinions are also divided about his birthplace (Farmsum). It is assumed that he was born in Farmsum because he called himself Farmsum Ommelandes. But concrete evidence for this is lacking. There is a hypothesis that he came from Friesland. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that a professor of theology named Antonides was one of the founding members of Franeker University. This needs to be further investigated.

Little to nothing is known about his youth either. There are presumptions that he was a schoolmaster and studied classical literature as an autodidact. Another presumption is that he was sent to the Latin school in Appingedam and then came under the care of the Rengers family. He would have worked there as a tutor for the children. Unfortunately, there is no concrete evidence here.

Student, minister and husband:

What is certain is that he registered at the Groningen University on 30 March 1684 for the Theology course. Because the word "gratis" is written behind his name in the Album studiosorum Academiae Groninganae (1915), you could assume that he received a grant.

He completed his theological studies in Franeker in 1687. There is a clear reason for this. The Franeker University was known for its Cocceian ideas. Theodorus Antonides clearly felt attracted to this. After graduating, he became a minister of the Reformed Protestant Church in Westerwijtwerd in 1689. He was called there by Reint Lewe and his wife Helena Clant. In 1692, Antonides also became a minister of the neighboring Menkeweer. Remarkable: Rolf van der Woude even calls him the most remarkable Groningen theologian of that time.

Theodorus Antoniudes was married three times and had a total of 10 children of his own. There is probably also a daughter from the first marriage of Elisabeth de Walrich (his third wife), her name is Willemina Maria Metting.

He published a lot. He also had the time and the drive for it. In total he published 10 books including: “Olympia, dat is Olymp-speelen der Grieken, nagebootst van den Romeinen”.

Resistance from the church:

Theodorus Antonides always lived on tense terms with the church. He had to justify himself to the church several times because of his (Cocceian) ideas. Coccejus was the great source of inspiration for Antonides. Wumkes (1949) says about this: "......but out of respect and piety for the author, she requested the synod not to act in the strictest but gentlest way for his salvation". This resulted in a sermon: ".... about the parable of the vineyard (Matt. 21: 33-46) in which he was ordered to declare, because of earlier less favorable statements, that the preaching service was a divine institution".

Deceased:

He would serve in Westerwijtwerd until his death in January 1715. Theodorus Antonides stayed in the old rectory of Westerwijtwerd at that time.

Where he is buried is unknown. There is a assumption that he is buried in the church of Westerwijtwerd. But evidence for this is still lacking for the time being.

Olympia:

Seventeen years after his death, in 1732, his son Meinardus published the book: Olympia, dat is Olympiad Games of the Greeks, imitated from the Romans, published posthumously. The second edition appeared in 1733.

In 1984 a photomechanical reprint of the book “Olympia” appeared in an edition of 278 copies, including 5 books in parchment and in gold print.