Alexandre Herculano

Early life

Herculano came from a family of humble origins; one of his grandfathers was a foreman stonemason in royal employ. He received early education in Latin, logic, and rhetoric at the Necessidades Monastery, then spent a year at the Royal Marine Academy studying mathematics with the aim of entering commerce.

In 1832 he volunteered for the Liberal expedition to Terceira Island and was part of D. Pedro's army of 7,500 men that landed at Mindelo and occupied Porto. During the subsequent siege he served as a librarian in the city archives. In 1837 he founded the Panorama, modeled on the English Penny Magazine, and became royal librarian at the Ajuda Palace, a post that allowed him to pursue historical studies.

Writings

Herculano introduced the historical novel to Portugal in 1844 with Eurico, a work imitating Walter Scott that deals with the fall of the Visigothic monarchy and the beginnings of resistance in the Asturias. A second novel, Monge de Cister, published in 1848, describes the era of King João I, when the middle class and municipalities asserted power. Though these stories are considered labored and ultra-romantic, they were written with an educational aim and are praised for their style.

Herculano had greater book-learning than Scott but lacked descriptive talent and skill in dialogue, and his novels show no dramatic power, contributing to his failure as a playwright. He also edited two old chronicles: the Chronicle of Dom Sebastião (1839) and the Annals of King João III (1844). In 1846 he published the first volume of his History of Portugal from the Beginning of the Monarchy to the end of the Reign of Afonso III, a critical work based on documents.

He had to collect, decipher, classify, and weigh manuscripts from across Portugal, breaking with precedents and destroying traditions. The book was welcomed as a work of the first rank for its research, marshaling of facts, scholarship, and accuracy, and its style made it a Portuguese classic. The second volume appeared in 1847, the third in 1849, and the fourth in 1853. The first volume sparked controversy because Herculano reduced the battle of Ourique to a mere skirmish and denied the apparition of Christ to King Afonso, a fable from the 15th century.

Political legacy

Herculano remained a constitutional Liberal of the old type, viewing the middle classes as the people and opposing the lower classes, which he saw as supporters of tyranny. He considered radicalism a path through anarchy to absolutism. Though he conducted political propaganda in the press early in his career, he never exercised much influence in politics.

Family life

In 1866 Herculano married Mariana Hermínia de Meira, born around 1830, whom he had first fallen in love with at age 26. He had prioritized his literary ambitions over the relationship at that time, later describing this as a sacrifice. In a letter to a friend he stated he wanted someone to care for him in old age and never wished to have children, believing it incompatible with his work. His correspondence often mentioned Mariana's health, showing tenderness in their relationship.

Did You Know?

• Herculano wrote a short description of a crossing from Jersey to Granville that satirizes English character and customs.
• His remains lie in a tomb in the Jerónimos Monastery at Belém, raised by public subscription.
• He was described as having a rare capacity for tedious work, dour rectitude, a passion for truth, pride, irritation when criticized, and independence of character.