Greek and Roman
The Emperor’s Infinite Forgiveness
‘ You yourself know what your grandfather Hadrian said: “The lot of emperors is wretched, for they cannot be believed in cases of attempted usurpation – unless they have been killed!”’ […]
Articles by Saxo
Britons and Celts
Knights of the Round Table to the Rescue
“Then the true royals of the Round Table
With great gusto went galloping against them,
Though in the melees with their middle guard they were ill matched.
What a marvel to see such a massing multitude!” […]
Human Affairs
A Murdered Beloved
“In an outburst of love which her weakness hardly allowed, she slid along like a snake, dragging her own completely bloody body up beside the lifeless corpse. As if he were alive, she gave him as many sweet kisses as she could and broke out into a sorrowful song.” […]
Viking
An Embar-ass-ing Setback
“Then, just as King Adils was pulling the spear shaft with the ring on it back towards him, King Hrolf galloped up and sliced off both his buttocks right down to the bone.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Downtrodden Show Their Might
“These valiant men gained the chance they had longed for–to be free to die in battle rather than to perish of hunger–and immediately took arms to kill the generals Lupicinus and Maximus.” […]
Human Affairs
The Arrogance of Metalworkers
” The king bade them do so, and they then made a knife and brought it to the king. He tried it on his beard, and took off the beard as well as the skin, so that it took hold in the flesh.” […]
Britons and Celts
A Patriot’s Vision of his Homeland
“Numberless springs also well up, and burst forth from the hills and the sloping ridges of the mountains, and, trickling down with sweetest sound, in crystal rivulets between flowery banks, flow together through the level vales, and give birth to many streams; and these again to large rivers, in which Scotia marvelously abounds, beyond any other country.” […]
Eastern Europe
Following a Deer to Civilization
“After many generations, since, while living there, they were completely ignorant of any other part of the world, it happened one time that in their pursuit of a deer, they forced their way across the Meotic marshes that had hitherto proved impassable to all men.” […]
Viking
The Failed Ambush
“Kolskegg said: ‘No need to look! It’s just as you thought; the leg is off!’ Then Kol fell dead to the ground.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Drama of the Stork
“It happened that the female stork brought forth young, and the male flew about to procure food. Now, while he was absent, the female admitted a gallant; and before the return of the male went down to the fountain to wash herself, in order that the other might perceive no disorder in her appearance.” […]