Pêro de Ataíde

Pêro de Ataíde
Born	c. 1450 Kingdom of Portugal
Died	1504 Mozambique Island, Portuguese Mozambique
Nationality	Portuguese
Occupation	Explorer, navigator
Known for	Captain of the first permanent Portuguese fleet in the Indian Ocean.

Pêro de Ataíde or Pedro d'Ataíde (d'Atayde, da Thayde), nicknamed O Inferno (Hell), (c. 1450 – February/March, 1504, Mozambique Island) was a Portuguese sea captain in the Indian Ocean active in the early 1500s. He was briefly captain of the first permanent Portuguese fleet in the Indian Ocean, taking over from Vicente Sodré, and the author of a famous letter giving an account of its fate.

According to chronicler Gaspar Correia, Pêro de Ataíde was a "very honored nobleman, a good knight, of virtuous condition" He was one of the three known illegitimate sons of Pedro de Ataíde, Abbot of Penalva do Castelo, himself an illegitimate son of D. Álvaro Gonçalves de Ataíde, the 1st Count of Atouguia. His brothers were Vasco de Ataíde and Álvaro Gonçalves de Ataíde.

It is sometimes suggested that Pêro de Ataíde was a relative of Portuguese admiral Vasco da Gama. This is probably an error resulting from confusing two unconnected Portuguese noble families which happen to have the same name - the Ataídes of Atouguia and the Ataídes of Alvor (Algarve). Vasco da Gama married Catarina de Ataíde, daughter of the alcaide-mór of Alvor. There is no indication that she was connected to Pêro's family. That members of both Ataíde families were involved in the early construction of the Portuguese empire in the East Indies has led some historians to assume they were related and contributed to the confusion.

In 1500, Pêro de Ataíde and his older brother Vasco de Ataíde joined the 2nd India Armada under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral. Pêro de Ataíde was appointed captain of the São Pedro, a small 70-tonne carrack or square-rigged caravel. His brother Vasco was captain of another unnamed ship.

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