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1525–1580

Luís Vaz de Camões

Luís Vaz de Camões · 葡萄牙

16th-century Portuguese poet, Portugal's national poet (c. 1524/1525–1580; birthplace and birth year uncertain, the common account being Lisbon).

According to the first 17th-century biographies and a small number of archives, Camões served in the army in North Africa in his early years and lost one eye, later travelled to India, Macao, and elsewhere, and during 17 years in the East wrote the epic *Os Lusíadas* (*The Lusiads*, published 1572), centred on da Gama's opening of the sea route to India and celebrating Portugal's seafaring enterprise; he died in Lisbon in 1580, poor and ill, and was buried in Jerónimos Monastery. **Uncertain note:** most details of his life lack contemporary archival support, and later biographies contain much embellishment; this draft writes only the parts on which there is documentary consensus and does not expand on the details.