Novum Instrumentum

First published under the title Novum Instrumentum and in later editions as Novum Testamentum, this pivotal Greek-Latin New Testament directly enabled Reformation-era vernacular translation. Its scope is the New Testament, translated from Greek and resting on Erasmus's own edited Greek text, with the Latin Vulgate serving as both predecessor and base translation. The approach is humanist and philological, and the work belongs to the category of a fresh Latin translation presented alongside an edited Greek text, allowing readers to compare the two columns directly. Among its distinctive features, the Greek text was compiled from a small number of manuscripts, and the Latin rendering challenged several Vulgate readings, which had long held authority in the Western church. Successive editions were widely read across Europe, and the printed Greek text became a foundation for later editions and for translators working into the vernacular languages.