- In full:
- Alexandre Herculano de Carvalho e Araújo
- Born:
- March 28, 1810, Lisbon, Port.
- Died:
- Sept. 13, 1877, Santarém (aged 67)
- Movement / Style:
- Romanticism
Alexandre Herculano
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Who was Alexandre Herculano?
Alexandre Herculano (1810–1877) was a Portuguese historian, novelist, and poet credited with introducing Romanticism to Portugal. He was a leader of liberal thought and enjoyed national prestige.
Herculano participated in an unsuccessful rebellion against Dom Miguel's rule, which forced him into exile. Upon his return to Portugal, he became editor of O Panorama, where he published his historical tales. A member of parliament in 1840, he advocated for educational reform. His História de Portugal, a Romantic historiography, covered Portugal's early history, emphasizing the rise of the middle class. Herculano's criticism of the clergy led him to oppose ultramontanism and campaign against monastic orders, advocating for civil marriage.
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What did Alexandre Herculano do as a historian?
Alexandre Herculano, a prominent Portuguese historian, novelist, and poet, significantly contributed to Romantic historiography. As a historian, Herculano led liberal opinion and achieved national prestige.
Herculano's História de Portugal (1846–53) is one of the finest achievements of Romantic historiography. It covers Portugal's early history up to 1279, emphasizing the rise of the middle class. Based on original manuscript research, Herculano challenged long-held legends, sparking controversy and debate. He also wrote História da origem e estabelecimento da Inquisição em Portugal (1854–59), which demonstrated how royal absolutism and clerical power had been allies.
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Why is Alexandre Herculano important in Portuguese history?
Alexandre Herculano (1810–1877) was a significant figure in Portuguese history as a historian, novelist, and poet who introduced Romanticism to Portugal. He participated in the rebellion against Dom Miguel's rule and later returned to Portugal to establish a liberal regime. Herculano believed cultural reform should accompany political change, leading him to edit O Panorama, a review that covered European literary and social trends.
His História de Portugal, beginning in 1846, is a key achievement of Romantic historiography, focusing on the rise of the middle class and Portugal's early history up to 1279. Herculano challenged traditional legends through his research, causing controversy and debate, especially regarding the role of the clergy.
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What are some famous works written by Alexandre Herculano?
Alexandre Herculano, a key figure in introducing Romanticism to Portugal, is celebrated for his historical novels and works of history.
Famous works by Alexandre Herculano:
* Eurico, o presbítero (1844; “Eurico, the Presbyter”)
* Lendas e narrativas (1851; “Legends and Narratives”), a collection of historical tales
* História de Portugal, a historical work that covers Portugal's early history up to 1279, emphasizing the rise of the middle class
* História da origem e estabelecimento da inquisição em Portugal (1854–59; History of the Origin and Establishment of the Inquisition in Portugal)2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Alexandre Herculano influence how people study history in Portugal?
Alexandre Herculano, a historian, novelist, and poet, significantly influenced the study of history in Portugal by introducing Romantic historiography. His História de Portugal, starting in 1846, emphasized the rise of the middle class and was based on original manuscript research.
Herculano challenged long-held legends, like the battle of Ourique, sparking public debate and a pamphlet war with the clergy, whom he accused of ignorance. His work advocated for democratic education reform, opposed clerical influence and ultramontanism, and explored the alliance between royal absolutism and clerical power in the Inquisition.
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What challenges did Alexandre Herculano face during his career as a historian and writer?
Alexandre Herculano, a key figure in introducing Romanticism to Portugal, faced several challenges during his career as a historian and writer. His participation in an unsuccessful rebellion against Dom Miguel's rule led to exile in England and France.
After returning to Portugal, Herculano advocated for cultural reform alongside political change, yet withdrew from politics in 1841 due to Costa Cabral's authoritarian regime.
Herculano's historical work, História de Portugal, challenged long-held legends, sparking controversy and criticism from religious sectors, to which he responded by denouncing the clergy's ignorance, resulting in a pamphlet war. His criticism of the Church led him to regard ultramontanism as a threat to liberal institutions. Later in life, a personal dispute led to his retirement from the national archives and relocation to farming.
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Alexandre Herculano (born March 28, 1810, Lisbon, Port.—died Sept. 13, 1877, Santarém) was a historian, novelist, and poet, one of the writers who is credited with introducing Romanticism to Portugal. As a historian, he was a leader of liberal opinion, enjoying a national prestige comparable to that of Victor Hugo in France.
As a young man Herculano took part in the unsuccessful rebellion against the absolute rule of Dom Miguel and was forced into exile in England and France. In 1832 he returned to Portugal with the small army of Dom Pedro that eventually ousted Miguel and established a liberal regime. Convinced that an important cultural reform should accompany the political change, he abandoned poetry and became editor of O Panorama (1837–39), a review that kept abreast of European literary and social trends, in which he published his historical tales, later gathered in two volumes as Lendas e narrativas (1851; “Legends and Chronicles”). Elected to the cortes (parliament) in 1840, he campaigned for a democratic reform of education, but he withdrew from politics in 1841 when Costa Cabral established his authoritarian regime. From 1839, when he became librarian at the Royal Library of Ajuda, he worked on his ambitious História de Portugal. He also wrote historical novels in the manner of Sir Walter Scott, a genre he introduced to Portugal.
The first volume of História de Portugal appeared in 1846. One of the finest achievements of Romantic historiography, it covers the early history of Portugal to 1279 and stresses the origin and rise of the middle class. As the result of his research in original manuscripts, he shocked his contemporaries by overturning many cherished legends. He treated the hallowed battle of Ourique, in which the tide of victory was believed to have been turned by Christ’s appearance to the first king of Portugal, as a mere skirmish, denying Christ’s intervention entirely. This brought a storm of protest from pulpit and press. Herculano replied by denouncing the ignorance of the clergy, and a long pamphlet war ensued.
In 1851 the Costa Cabral regime was overthrown by the movement of the Regeneration, in which Herculano took part. To combat the ultraconservative elements that sought to undermine the new regime, Herculano helped found two newspapers in which he attacked political centralism and clerical influence. Although a Roman Catholic and a convinced Christian, his quarrel with the clergy led him to regard ultramontanism (the doctrine of papal supremacy over national churches) as the main enemy of liberal institutions. To this period belongs História da origem e estabelecimento da inquisição em Portugal (1854–59; History of the Origin and Establishment of the Inquisition in Portugal). Based on hitherto unknown documents, it attempted to demonstrate that royal absolutism and clerical power had been allies in the confiscation of the property of the “New Christians” (converted Jews) through the Inquisition. He campaigned against the restoration of the monastic orders and advocated civil marriage. From 1871 he was openly critical of the new dogmas of Immaculate Conception and papal infallibility.
The fourth and last volume of his history was issued in 1853. The appointment of a personal enemy to the national archives in 1856 caused Herculano to retire to farming at Vale de Lobos near Santarém.