MACARIUS. - The Hellenized name of Giovanni L'Heureux, archaeologist, philologist, and Hellenist, b. in 1540 or 1551 at Gravelines on the English Channel, d. at Aire (Artois) on 11 June 1614. After philosophical studies at Lovanio, he travelled extensively, including in Greece, bringing back many excavated objects, which he later left in Roma, where he resided for twenty years, in contact with the most learned scholars of Christian antiquities: such as A. Chacon (v.), A. BOSONE (v.), F. de Winghe. He intended to combat Protestant heresy with the documentation derived from ancient Christian monuments. He occupied himself with patristics and philology, supporting himself by teaching. Having returned to his homeland, he obtained a canonry in the city of Aire, where he died, leaving various manuscripts to the trilingual college of Lovanio.
His works are all posthumous: Disquisition antiquaria de gemmis basilidianis, cui titulus Abraxas seu Apistopistus, published by G. Chiflet (Anversa 1657); Commentarius de picturis et sculpturis sacris antiquioribus, praesertim quae Romae reperiuntur cui titulus Hagioglipta, published by R. Garrucci (v. Parigi 1856); De antiqua scribensi ratione; De natura verbi medii, ac fere de tota natura verborum graecorum; Inscriptiones graecas, Macarlo interprete, cum notis; Emendatio bibliorum romana; other writings deal with scriptural and patristic subjects.