He also used the history of his own time, as seen in making Vasco da Gama the central character of that work.  
His work was a favorite of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's, who titled one of her poems about his correspondence with his mythical love, Catrina.  It was for love of Catrina, supposedly a royal lady, that he was banished and became a soldier, losing his right eye at Ceuta and shipwrecking in India.  This military adventure helped inspire his greatest work, which contained elements with ancient roots, including using Thetis as the queen of the Nereids.  He also used the history of his own time, as seen in making Vasco da Gama the central character of that work.  FTP, name this poet of Os Lusiados, which is considered the national epic of his native Portugal.
His work was a favorite of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's, who titled one of her poems about his correspondence with his mythical love, Catrina.  
Luis Vaz de Camoens [ka-MOISH or ka-MOINSH]