Greek and Roman

The Crimes of a Nice Emperor

“The charge of pride was also leveled him, although he had been very humble even as emperor – moreover he was, on the contrary, very polite at banquets, very liberal with signing petitions, and very reasonable over cases of personal freedom.” […]

Greek and Roman

Lust, Jealousy, and Revenge

“Having called in an old Greek woman who was expert in the preparation of poisons, she persuaded her by means of gifts and promises to concoct a lethal potion. And one evening, without giving the matter a second thought, she served this up to Restagnone.” […]

Greek and Roman

The World Doesn’t Revolve Around Us

“The universal nature has no external space; but the wondrous part of her art is that though she has circumscribed herself, everything within her which appears to decay and to grow old and to be useless she changes into herself, and again makes other new things from these very same, so that she requires neither substance from without nor wants a place into which she may cast that which decays.” […]

Greek and Roman

The Pirate as a Forlorn Lover

“The dashing youth need not have wasted so many words, for the Messinese who were with him, being avid for plunder, already had visions of themselves performing the deed to which Gerbino was inciting them with his oratory. So that when he reached the end of his speech, they filled the air with a thunderous roar of approval, trumpets were sounded, and they all took up their weapons.” […]

Greek and Roman

Rome: Ghost Town

“And then it visibly appeared to many that a good and a bad angel proceeded by night through the city and as many times as, upon command of the good angel, the bad angel, who appeared to carry a hunting spear in his hand, knocked at the door of each house with the spear, so many men perished from that house on the following day.” […]

Greek and Roman

The Ship of Theseus

“They took away the old timbers from time to time, and put new and sound ones in their places, so that the vessel became a standing illustration for the philosophers in the mooted question of growth, some declaring that it remained the same, others that it was not the same vessel.” […]