MACARIUS. - Greekized form of Giovanni L'Heureux, archaeologist, philologist, Hellenist, born in 1540 or 1551 in Gravelines on the English Channel, died in Aire (Artois) on 11 June 1614. After philosophical studies in Louvain, he traveled extensively, including to Greece, bringing back many excavated objects, which he later left in Rome, where he resided for twenty years in contact with the most learned scholars of Christian antiquity, such as A. Chacon (v.), A. BOSONE (v.), F. de Winge, proposing to combat Protestant heresy with documentation drawn from ancient Christian monuments. He devoted himself to patristics and philology, earning a living through teaching. Returning to his homeland, he obtained a canonry in the city of Aire, where he died, leaving various manuscripts to the Trilingual College in Louvain.
All his works were published posthumously: *Disquisitio antiquaria de gemmis basiliadinis, cui titulus Abraxas seu Apistopistus*, published by G. Chiffet (Antwerp 1657); *Commentarius de picturis et sculpturis sacris antiquioribus, praesertim quae Romae reperiuntur cui titulus Hagiographia*, published by R. Garrucci (v. Paris 1856); *De antiqua scribendi ratione*; *De natura verbi medii, ac fere de tota natura verborum graecorum*; *Inscriptiones graecae, Macario interprete, cum notis*; *Emendatio bibliorum romana*; other writings deal with scriptural and patristic topics.