First published in 1572, The Lusiads is one of the greatest epic poems of the Renaissance, immortalizing Portugal's voyages of discovery with an unrivalled freshness of observation. At the centre of The Lusiads is Vasco da Gama's pioneer voyage via southern Africa to India in 1497-98. The first European artist to cross the equator, Camões's narrative reflects the novelty and fascination of that original encounter with Africa, India and the Far East. 1998 is the quincentenary of Vasca da Gama's voyage via southern Africa to India, the voyage celebrated in this new verse translation.
