 Our information about Ramus’ life, apart from scattered biographical notes in his own books, comes mainly from three of his contemporaries: Johannes Thomas Freigius, Theophilus Banosius and Nicolas Nancelius. Freigius and Banosius spent only brief periods with Ramus and relied mostly on written sources. Banosius met Ramus once in Heidelberg in 1569, and Fregius’ time together with Ramus was limited to the latter’s stay in Basel in 1569–1570. Nancelius, however, was a close friend of his, first as a student and later as a colleague and collaborator; and the account he produced is more exhaustive and better written.