His work as a cultural promoter also focused on the translation of books, including A Vida Quotidiana no tempo da Revolução Francesa [ Daily Life in the Time of the French Revolution ] by Jean Robiquet (1962), A Vida Quotidiana no Tempo de Luís XIV [ Daily Life in the Time of Louis XIV ] by Georges Mongrédien (1963) and Palestina, Liberdade ou Morte [ Palestine, Freedom or Death ] by Ania Francos (1970). The first two works were published by Editora Livros do Brasil and the last by Seara Nova. The themes of the first two books are linked to history, addressing the historical and cultural contexts of the French Revolution and the time of Louis XIV. Ania Francos’ work refers to the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and its contemporary relevance. In addition to these translations, we would add his columns in the Portuguese press in the periodicals Diário de Lisboa, República, Vértice and Seara Nova. Augusto da Costa Dias used pseudonyms such as Ângelo Bravo and João da Ega in the latter. He also wrote several columns dedicated to young people, published in the “DL juvenil” section of Diário de Lisboa and “República Juvenil” in República. Writing these columns, which were of vital importance to him, was a way of communicating with the public, since he was unable to work as a teacher.

His historical work, which began in the 1960s, should be highlighted for its originality. Firstly, because of his connection to the Annales school – his library consisted of historical, political and partisan works linked to communism – and secondly because of his choice of themes. Costa Dias paid particular attention to the 19th century, a period little studied by historiography because it was too close chronologically to the contemporary world and therefore considered a threat to the political sphere. From his main work, A Crise de Consciência Pequeno- Burguesa [ The Crisis of Petty Bourgeois Consciousness ] , a first volume entitled O nacionalismo literário da geração de 90 [ The Literary Nationalism of the Generation of 90 ] was published in 1962, which he began writing while imprisoned in the Aljube political prison. The title of this book immediately reveals a Marxist perspective with its reference to petty bourgeois ideology. He valued the role of culture in the ideological field, seeking to show how cultural manifestations were subject to structural, social and economic constraints. In this book, Costa Dias highlights the “still unprecedented nature of in-depth and systematic research into ideologies among us”, saying that he was “much more interested in stirring up problems, raising hypotheses and discussing ideas, certain that, in a first approach, in a first contact with a subject that was new in so many respects, this should be the most fruitful path”. In this first volume, the author sought to highlight the study of authors of the so-called 90s generation, or neo-Garretian generation , such as Alberto de Oliveira, António Nobre and Trindade Coelho, emphasising their role in the construction of a “petty bourgeois” ideology, in a vision that he characterised as being turned towards the values of the past, attached to tradition and ruralism, and influenced by decadence and symbolism; but it cannot be ignored that this ideology had its origins in the nationalist culture of the Estado Novo. However, a more extensive study of bourgeois ideology did not go beyond this volume, as the author intended, following a regressive method so dear to the Marxist historical perspective, to cover the analysis of a century of bourgeois ideology in Portugal since Garret t ism, or rather since Garrett’s nationalist ideas since their expression in defence of the 1820 revolution . A Crise de Consciência Pequeno-Burguesa The Crisis of Petty Bourgeois Consciousness ] was translated into Spanish in the “Ibérica” collection by Península publishers in 1966, revealing (there were not many Portuguese historiographical works to be translated abroad).

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