The methodology of this classicist was characterised above all by a meticulous and attentive analysis of the literary and archaeological sources she studied, supported by the most comprehensive and up-to-date bibliography available at the time of publication, as well as by the careful discussion of various interpretative theories and hypotheses. These features make reading M. H. da Rocha Pereira’s works a reliable guide to the state of the art and emerging trends in each subject she tackled. Her bibliographic output was also distinguished by its clear international scope.

The contribution of Rocha Pereira to Cultural History is undeniable, starting with her work as a philologist. Among her accomplishments is the critical edition of Pausanias. Graeciae Descriptio , published in the prestigious Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana in 1973, 1977, and 1981. Pausanias, a significant Greek author from the second century AD, provides a detailed and descriptive account of mainland Greece in his time. This work includes references and descriptions of cities, buildings, artworks (many of which are now lost), as well as allusions to myths, religious traditions, political events, and notable figures. Pausanias thus serves as a vital resource for our understanding of Ancient Greece, and one of the key lessons from t his work is owed to M. H. da Rocha Pereira. This critical edition is widely regarded as the most important achievement of her career, solidifying her international recognition. However, her significance for the study of Cultural History goes even further. She also produced numerous translations of various Greco-Latin authors, which she compiled as teaching materials for her students of Classical Cultural History at the University of Coimbra. These were brought together in two anthologies: Hélade: antologia da Cultura Grega [Hellas: Anthology of Greek Culture] (latest edition by Guimarães Editores, published in 2009) and Romana: antologia da Cultura Latina [Romana: Anthology of Latin Culture] (latest edition by Guimarães Editores, 2010). These anthologies were expanded over her years of teaching. Within them, we find authors previously untranslated into Portuguese, as well as others presented in new and carefully revised versions, such as Homer, Hesiod, Theognis, Sappho, Simonides, Herodotus, Thucydides, Hippocrates, Plutarch, Cicero, Ovid, Virgil, and Livy. These translations represent only a fraction of Rocha Pereira’s meticulous philological work. She also produced translations of complete works, such as Plato's The Republic (currently with 15 editions, the latest by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in 2017) and tragedies by Sophocles ( Antigone and Ajax ) and Euripides ( Medea , Trojan Women , and Bacchae ), which were collected and republished in the third volume of her Complete Works , released by the University of Coimbra Press and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation as of 2013. Her contribution to Cultural History also includes two essential volumes for any student beginning their studies in Classical Culture: Estudos de História da Cultura Clássica, Volume I – Cultura Grega [Studies in the History of Classical Culture, Volume I – Greek Culture] and Volume II – Cultura Romana [Roman Culture]. These two volumes, also published by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation have been reissued in multiple editions (the most recent being the 12th edition of Vol. I in 2017 and the 5th edition of Vol. II in 2013) .

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