The Romans who crossed the river of forgetfulness - Ponte de Lima

Legend of the River Lethes - The River Lima was once called the River Lethes (or River of Forgetfulness).

According to the ancients, the Lethes River bewitched people and made them lose their memory . When an army of Romans on their way to their conquests came across the beauty of the place and the river, they were terrified because they believed it was the Lethes River. Even when commander Decius Junius Brutus insisted that they cross the river, the legionaries remained on the bank. To prove that it was not the River of Forgetfulness, the commander decided to cross first . When he reached the other bank, he turned to his soldiers and said that he still remembered everything. He called them by their names and encouraged them to cross the Lima River.

On the left bank of the Lima the Roman soldiers are depicted and on the other side Decius Junius Brutus.

The tile tableau on one of the corners of the Municipal Market also refers to this legend.

Willem Vandenameele