Professor Aires do Nascimento - Grand Officer of the Order of Saint James of the Sword

Born in Palhais, in the municipality of Trancoso, in 1939, he went to theological seminaries very early in his life and was ordained priest in 1962. He started his studies in Classical Philology at the School of Arts and Humanities of the Universidade de LisboaUniversity of Lisbon  in 1966, a degree he concluded brilliantly with a dissertation on the Greek concept of aretê (virtue). Professor Aires do Nascimento was then invited to be Assistant Professor at that same school in 1970. Dedicating himself to the study of fundamental works of Portuguese medieval culture, he got a PhD with a thesis in Medieval Latin Philology (1978), dedicated to the translation of the “Livro dos Arautos” (Book of the Heralds), having also concluded the PhD diploma in Medieval Studies in Leuven, where he dedicated himself to the study of documental sciences and codicology. 

During his long and remarkable academic career at the School of Arts and Humanities, Professor Aires do Nascimento explored multiple areas and knowledge, dedicating himself to the systematic study of Greek language and culture, but also of Latin language and culture (Pliny, Ovid, Virgil, Propertius, Terence, among others), including Philology and History, Archaeology, medieval hagiography, iconography, epigraphy and illuminated manuscripts, codicology, palaeography, computer processing and statistical analysis of medieval texts, translation and the history of translation in Portugal. He has also held various university management positions, such as Pro-Rector of the University of Lisbon , Vice-Director of the Scientific Council, Director of the course in Documentation Sciences at the Centre for Classical Studies of the University of Lisbon (1982-2008), and Director of the renowned scientific journal Euphrosyne (1986-2009). He has greatly contributed to the internationalization of teaching and research in Classical Studies at the School of Arts and Humanities, establishing relations with outstanding foreign universities, mainly Spanish, French, Belgian and Italian.  

He was awarded by a group of colleagues, disciples and friends, with the organisation of a congress that brought together almost a hundred speakers (17-20 July 2019), Professor Aires do Nascimento is now, since 26 January 2023, a Grand Officer of the Order of Saint James of the Sword.

Source: FLUL.