The Lusiads is one of the greatest epic poems of the Renaissance, immortalizing Portugal's voyages of discovery with an unrivalled freshness of observation. This new translation marks the quincentenary of Vasco da Gama's voyage via southern Africa to India.

At the center of The Lusiads is Vasco da Gama's pioneering voyage in 1497-98. Camoes, the first major European artist to cross the equator, captures the novelty and fascination of that original encounter with Africa, India, and the Far East.

The poem's twin symbols are the Cross and the Astrolabe, celebrating a turning point in mankind's knowledge of the world. It speaks powerfully of the precariousness of power and the rise and decline of nationhood, threatened from without by enemies and from within by loss of integrity and vision.

This edition is complemented by an illuminating introduction and extensive notes.