Os Lusíadas, 1572: the exemplars and the editions

Abstract The first edition of Os Lusíadas, by Luís de Camões, has long attracted the attention of scholars, and its surviving copies are mysterious objects. Over the years, different hypotheses have been proposed and a range of methodologies employed, in attempts to explain their mysteries. This study is based on the analysis of twenty-five copies, applying techniques from the field of material bibliography. Using mechanical collation, it argues that two different editions were printed, bearing the same date. It proposes a classification system and terminology, which affects the editions, the copies and the sheets which constitute each copy. This study seeks to make an initial contribution to the ongoing debate on the number of editions dated 1572; further observations, which could make the ultimate answer more nuanced, will be published in future.