Alexandre Herculano Biography

Alexandre Herculano was a Portuguese novelist and historian whose work is characterized by deep feeling and considerable power of expression. Inspired by Portugal's political emancipation, he vividly depicted the bitterness of exile and the heroic struggles for liberty. Through his historical tales and essays, he educated the middle class, acquainting them with national history and the progress of knowledge and literature abroad. Though often grave, his writings also reveal satire and humor, and his historical works are valued for their fidelity to facts and lucid explanations of events.