Luís Vaz de Camões

Luís Vaz de Camões (c. 1524–1580) lived an epic life traversing Portugal's vast maritime empire. Banished from Lisbon after wounding a court official in a brawl, Camões served as a soldier in Morocco where he lost his right eye in combat. In 1553, he sailed for Portuguese India, spending sixteen turbulent years in Goa, Macau, and Mozambique.

Shipwrecked near the mouth of the Mekong River in Cambodia, Camões famously swam ashore holding only his wet manuscript of Os Lusíadas above the waves. Published in Lisbon in 1572 with the approval of King Sebastian, The Lusiads weaves Renaissance classical mythology with the real oceanic voyages of Vasco da Gama, creating the definitive epic monument to the Age of Discovery. Portugal celebrates its National Day on June 10, the anniversary of Camões's death.