M arch ▁ 1 5 8 8 ▁– ▁November ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 6 3 8 ), ▁" the ▁true ▁parent ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁Encyclop æ d ias ", ▁was ▁a ▁German - born ▁Trans ylvan ian ▁Sax on ▁Cal vin ist ▁minister ▁and ▁academic , ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁varied ▁interests : ▁in ▁Ram ism ▁and ▁L ull ism , ▁ped ag ogy ▁and ▁en cyc loped ias , ▁the ology ▁and ▁mill en arian ism . ▁His ▁contempor aries ▁noted ▁that ▁an ▁an agram ▁of ▁Al sted ius ▁was ▁sed ul itas , ▁meaning ▁" hard ▁work " ▁in ▁Latin . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁Al sted ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Mit ten aar . ▁He ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Her born ▁Academy ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁H esse , ▁studying ▁under ▁Johannes ▁P isc ator . ▁From ▁ 1 6 0 6 ▁he ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Mar burg , ▁taught ▁by ▁Rudolf ▁G oc len ius , ▁Greg or ius ▁Schön feld ▁and ▁Rap ha ël ▁Eg li . ▁The ▁following ▁year ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁Bas el , ▁where ▁his ▁teachers ▁were ▁Leon hardt ▁Z ub ler ▁for ▁mathematics , ▁Am and us ▁Pol anus ▁von ▁Pol ans dorf ▁for ▁the ology , ▁and ▁Johann ▁Bu xt orf . ▁From ▁about ▁ 1 6 0 8 ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Her born ▁Academy ▁to ▁teach ▁as ▁professor ▁of ▁philosophy ▁and ▁the ology . ▁ ▁Al sted ▁was ▁later ▁in ▁ex ile ▁from ▁the ▁Th irty ▁Years ' ▁War ▁in ▁Trans ylvan