The Lusiad

Before a sail has crossed these waters, the Lusitanian fleet cuts through green waves—and Jupiter summons the gods to decide its fate. Will Vasco da Gama’s voyage eclipse even the deeds of Greece and Rome?

In Luís de Camões’s 1572 epic, Portuguese ships have left Lisbon behind and steer across an ocean no one has charted, toward the kingdoms of the East. Above them, the Olympian gods gather: Jupiter foresees a mighty empire, Venus sees ancient Rome in the sailors, and Bacchus fears that their Indian conquests will steal his glory. Below, Gama must lead his men through unknown waters where human courage may not be enough. Camões turns a voyage into a contest between ambition, divine jealousy and the perils of the sea. Which power will shape the fleet’s course?

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