“God gave the Portuguese a small country as cradle but all the world as their grave” (Camões). The Lusiads is Portugal’s national epic poem, recounting Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India. The author, Luís Vaz de Camões, was related to da Gama through marriage and later traveled to the Portuguese settlements in Goa and Macau, where he wrote The Lusiads. Camões draws on both Greek mythology and Christian motifs to construct his fantastical interpretation of da Gama’s voyage. Through his fusion of theologies, Camões draws a thread through the history of literature. Modern readers can connect with the 15th century text and its author through our shared understanding of Homer and Virgil.