The Lusiads (Pocket Edition)

The most beautiful epic of the 16th century, rich in history and mythology. Published in 1572, this landmark of Portuguese Classicism extols, in ten cantos, the courage of the Portuguese people in exploring the Atlantic Ocean to find a new route to the Indies. In The Lusiads, the navigators suffer not only from the hardships of traveling through the unexplored, but also from the plans of the mythological gods Bacchus and Neptune, who refuse to allow the Portuguese venture to succeed. But their schemes are often foiled by Venus and Mars, staunch defenders of the navigators. Blending history and mythology, Luís Vaz de Camões created one of the most important epics in Portuguese poetry.