In his Adagia (Proverbs), a commented collection of proverbial expressions, Erasmus of Rotterdam summarizes ancient and Christian wisdom and relates it to the contemporary world. The compendium, which the humanist continually expanded and revised from 1500 to 1536, was part of the educational canon for centuries. Erasmus does not limit himself to a mere compilation of word explanations; his detailed comments and anecdotes provide deep insights into his thought processes. This edition, translated and commented on by Anton J. Gail, presents a selection of significant passages from this work and explains its creation and reception.