Radio biography of Egas Moniz

There are three significant elements to understanding the sense of mission that Moniz believed he had been entrusted with: he was born into nobility, in what was known at the time as a "provincial nobleman," although he casually admitted that there were "traits of nobility" in his family; the addition to his identity that consisted of the "baptismal supplement" taken from the tutor of the first king of Portugal, from whom his uncle, an abbot, claimed to be descended; and the widespread idea among nobles that they should perform illustrious deeds in order to set heroic examples for the rest of society and, therefore, be remembered and celebrated, if they were to be freed from the law of death.... As vocations followed one another, his sense of mission became more consolidated. "Leaving a legacy" continued to be a key point in the destiny he wanted for himself.