Spanheim, FRIEDRICH, theologian, was born at Amberg, January 1, 1600; studied at Heidelberg and Geneva; visited Paris and England; was appointed in 1631 to the chair of Theology at Geneva, in 1641 at Leyden; and died there, April 30, 1648. He contributed to the controversy with Amyraut Disputatio de gratia universalis (1644), &c.—EZECHIEL SPANHEIM, son of the foregoing, was born at Geneva, 7th December 1629, studied at Leyden, and was appointed professor of Rhetoric there in 1651. He next became tutor to the sons of the Elector Palatine, and with them travelled in Italy and Sicily. In 1665 he represented the Palatine and Brandenburg as resident in England; in 1680 he went for nine years to Paris as ambassador extraordinary. He took part in the peace of
Ryswick, later went on missions both to Paris and London, and died at the latter, 7th November 1710. He had great learning in the history of ancient law and in numismatics, and his Dissertationes de usu et præstantia numismatum antiquorum (best ed. 1706-16) and Orbis Romanus (1704) made his name widely known.—FRIEDRICH SPANHEIM, his brother, was born at Geneva, May 1, 1632, studied at Leyden, was appointed to the chair of Theology at Heidelberg in 1655, at Leyden in 1670, and died there, May 8, 1701. He defended Calvinism against Descartes and Cocceius. His collected works fill 3 volumes (1701-3).