Lima: The River of Forgetfulness
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Ponte de Lima, which translates to Bridge of Lima, is a beautiful town that sits astride the Lima River. The Lima River is peaceful—quietly passing vineyards, ancient bridges, and quiet streets. Kayaks and canoes paddle alongside cafes and restaurants.
To the Roman soldiers marching through the Iberian Peninsula, however, the Lima was no ordinary river. They believed it to be the mythical Lethe—the River of Forgetfulness from classical mythology. According to ancient tales, anyone who crossed the Lethe would lose all memory of their past: their homeland, their loved ones, even their own identity. Even for those disciplined Roman legions, whose strength depended on loyalty and order, this was a terrifying prospect.
As the story goes, when Roman troops reached the banks of the Lima during their campaigns in the region, they refused to cross. No command, no threat, no promise of glory could persuade them to step into those waters. Fear of losing themselves outweighed their duty.
Enter Decimus Junius Brutus, the Roman general leading the campaign. Determined to prove that the river held no supernatural power, Brutus took a standard and crossed the river alone.
On the opposite bank, he turned to face his hesitant soldiers and called out to them—one by one—reciting their names. The effect was immediate and powerful. His memory had remained intact, and with it, the illusion of the Lima’s power began to crumble. Ashamed of their fear and inspired by their commander’s courage, the soldiers followed him across.
Today, Ponte de Lima embraces this tale as part of its identity. The city has erected statues of two contuberniums of Roman soldiers on one side of the river. (In case you don’t remember what a contubernium is from your ancient history class, that’s about 20 men or one fifth of a centurion). On the other side of the river facing them is a statue of General Brutus, calling their names from his horse, Trigger. (That part I made up).
That all took place around 137 BCE. The Romans were there to stay, and built a lot of the town’s infrastructure, including a bridge over the river Lima, much of which still stands today.
Historians still debate the accuracy of the tale, but whether the story is fact, embellishment, or pure legend, it has endured for centuries. We can attest, however, that when crossing the river on our way back to our hotel after a fine dinner one evening, we did have a little trouble remembering our way back - but that may have been the wine.