Jose Basílio da Gama's Brazilian Goldmines

Published here for the first time in an accessible edition, Brasilienses Aurifodinae or " Brazilian Goldmines " is an 18th century hexameter poem in Latin, by Brazilian author Jose Basilio da Gama (1741-1795). Two addenda follow the text, translation and commentary on this poem: an Appendix Compendiaria , which summarises the content of the poem in simple prose; a Quaestio Curiosa , where Gama answers common questions about his topic; and an alphabetically organized Index rerum notabilium . Gama, famous for his anti-Jesuit works in Portuguese and for his support of the liberal reformation of the Portuguese crown, touches in this work upon central questions of his time, such as life in the colonies, use of slave labor, relationship with the metropolis and payment of taxes. He also showcases his technical knowledge of the extraction of gold and his scientific knowledge regarding geography, geology and mineralogy of the mining sites - not to mention his erudition in mastery of Latin and his familiarity with the Classical tradition. This edition contains the edited Latin text, as well as the first English translation of the work, an introductory study and commentaries to the text.

About the author

Leni Ribeiro Leite is Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Kentucky, USA. She has published within Classics, with an interest in epic poetry and the Flavian Era, as well as on Latin in Colonial Brazil and the dynamics between Latin and the vernaculars between the 16th and 18th centuries.Dreykon Fernandes Nascimento is an Independent Scholar, Brazil. He holds an MA in Literary Studies from the Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil. He has been dedicated to researching Virgilian echoes in both Latin and Portuguese works produced in the 18th-century Luso-Brazilian world.

Product details

• Authors: Leni Ribeiro Leite, Dreykon Fernandes Nascimento
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 05.03.2026
• EAN: 9781350458185
• ISBN: 978-1-350-45818-5
• No. of pages: 272
• Series: Bloomsbury Neo-Latin Series: Early Modern Texts and Anthologies
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Latin America, Latin, LITERARY CRITICISM / Ancient & Classical, LITERARY COLLECTIONS / Ancient & Classical, HISTORY / Latin America / General, Classical texts, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, Latin America – Mexico, Central America, South America, History of the Americas, Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800, Literary studies: poetry and poets, LANGUAGE STUDY / Latin