José Basílio da Gama's Brazilian Goldmines

Published here for the first time in an accessible edition,Brasilienses Aurifodinaeor “Brazilian Goldmines” is an 18th-century hexameter poem in Latin, by Brazilian author José Basílio da Gama (1741-95).Two addenda follow the text, translation, and commentary on this poem: anAppendix Compendiaria, which summarizes the content of the poem in simple prose; and aQuaestio Curiosa, where Gama answers common questions about his topic, as well as an alphabetically organizedIndex 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, the use of slave labor, the 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. José Basílio da Gama’s Brazilian Gold Mines (Brasilienses Aurifodinae) is a Neo-Latin didactic poem composed in the late eighteenth century, offering a rare literary portrayal of colonial Brazil’s gold economy through the lens of classical poetic form. Written in Latin hexameters, the poem merges Early Modern scientific curiosity with epic tradition, providing valuable insights into the material, political, and cultural dimensions of mining in Minas Gerais. This volume presents the first-ever English translation of the poem, alongside the original Latin text, with commentary and scholarly annotations. It also includes all surviving paratexts found in the manuscript, including illustrations and textual marginalia, making it a comprehensive edition of the work. The introduction situates the poem within the broader corpus of colonial Latin American literature, with special attention to its ethnographic descriptions, treatment of enslaved labor, and articulation of imperial discourse in Luso-Brazilian contexts. Intertextual references to Vergil, Pliny, and many other classical and early modern texts are explored in detail. A significant work at the intersection of classical reception, Latin American Studies, and Brazilian Literature, Brasilienses Aurifodinae sheds light on Latin as a medium of knowledge production in the Portuguese Americas. This edition is intended for scholars of Neo-Latin poetry as well as those interested in the intersections of classics, literature, empire, and science.