he studied medicine in leuven, and became physician to two sisters of charles v: marie and eleonore, who were based in brussels at the time. philip ii, the son of charles v, wanted him also as his doctor and offered him a rich income. goropius refused and established himself as "medicus" (town doctor) of antwerp in 1554. here, free of courtly intrigues, goropius dedicated himself completely to languages and etymology, studying antiquity and becoming fluent in many languages.