Greek and Roman
Unsatisfactory Mating
“All other animals derive satisfaction from having mated; man gets almost none.” […]
Genre
Greek and Roman
Theseus and the Labyrinth
“When he reached Crete on his voyage, most historians and poets tells us that he got from Ariadne, who had fallen in love with him, the famous thread, and that having been instructed by her how to make his way through the intricacies of the Labyrinth, he slew the Minotaur and sailed off with Ariadne and the youths.” […]
Greek and Roman
Bevis Rules the Day
“Bevis and his contingent killed sixty-thousand that day; they had all come from Damascus, but they never returned home.” […]
Human Affairs
The Coldest of Counsel
“You are remarkably unlike your noble kinsmen if you don’t want to avenge such a brother as Kjartan was. Your grandfather, Egil Skalla-Grimsson, would never have behaved like this. It is cruel to have such craven sons; and I for one believe it would have suited you better to have been your father’s daughters and been married off.” […]
Britons and Celts
The Dog of War
” While the dogs were unleashed and they were running about in all directions chasing wild beasts for about the length of a day, a certain hound, which used to follow the scent on the tracks of the beasts, was stolen away by the Picts, and was immediately discovered in their possession.” […]
Viking
Bonds Forged Through Battle
“The next day, Haraldur called over to Sigmundur’s ship to ask if they wanted to fight again. Sigmundur answered that he had no reason to consider anything else.” […]
Greek and Roman
Tales of Lesser-Known Gods
“For so did Styx the deathless daughter of Ocean plan on that day when the Olympian Lightener called all the deathless gods to great Olympus, and said that whosoever of the gods would fight with him against the Titans, he would not cast him out from his rights, but each should have the office which he had before amongst the deathless gods.” […]
Britons and Celts
A Blessing for a Canary Artist
“The king was mighty inquisitive to know who this Raeph was. Ben told him ‘twas the artist at the Swan tavern, by Charing Cross, who drew him a good canary.” […]
Human Affairs
Enemy to the Human Race?
“ere was no remedy, for if on the days of the funerals I lived, on the days when no one died I was starving, and I felt it all the more. So that there seemed to be no rest for me but in death, and I often desired it for myself, as well as for others.” […]
History
A Society Built on War
“Their diet, daily exercise, and the freedom from restraint that they enjoy – for from childhood they do not know what compulsion or discipline is, and do nothing against their inclination – combine to make them strong and as tall as giants.” […]