GIRALDI, GIGLIO GREGORIO (1479-1552), or Lilius Gregorius Gyraldus, one of the scholars and poets of the golden age of Italian literature, was born June 14, 1479, at Ferrara, where he early distinguished himself by his talents and acquirements. On the completion of his literary course lie removed to Naples, where lie lived on familiar terms with Pontano and Sannazaro ; and subsequently to Lombardy, where lie enjoyed the favour of the Mirandola family. At Milan in 1507 he studied Greek under Chalcondylas ; and shortly afterwards, at Modena, he became tutor to Ercole (afterwards Cardinal) Rangone. About the year 1511 he removed to Rome, where, under Clement YIP, he held the office of apostolic protonotary; but having in the sack of that city (1527), which almost coincided with the death of Cardinal Rangone his most powerful patron, lost all his property, lie returned in poverty once more to Mirandola, whence again he was driven by the troubles consequent on the assassination of the reigning prince in 1533. The rest of his life was one long struggle with ill health, poverty, and neglect ; and he is alluded to with. sorrowful regret by Montaigne in one of his L'ssais (i. 34), as having, like Sebastian Castalio, ended his days in utter destitution. He died at Ferrara in February 1552; and his epitaph makes touching and graceful allusion to the sadness of his end. Giraldi was a man of very extensive erudition ; and numerous testimonies to his profundity and accuracy have been given both by contemporary and by later scholars. His Historia de Diis Gentinm marked a distinctly forward step in the systematic study of classical mythology ; and by his treatises De Ann-is et Mensibus, and on the Calendarium Roman-um et Grcecum, be contributed to bring about the reform of the calendar, which was ultimately effected by Pope Gregory XIII. His Progymnastna adver'sus Literas et Literatos deserves mention at least among the curiosities of literature ; and among his other works to which reference is still occasionally made are Historiie Poetartent Grcecorunt ac Latinorum; De Poetis moment temporum ; and De Sepultura ac vario sepeliendi rite. Giraldi was also an elegant Latin poet. His Opera Omnia were published at Leyden in 1-696.