History
Justice of a Feared Emperor
“The right, that is my desire. To the man who is a follower of the lie I am no friend. I am not hot-tempered. What things develop in my anger, I hold firmly under control by my thinking power.” […]
Governance
History
The Medieval Postmen of Mongolia
“For it takes these runners no more than a day and a night to cover a ten day’s journey, or two days and two nights for a twenty days’ journey. So in ten days they can transmit news over a journey of a hundred days. ” […]
Greek and Roman
The Grasping Goes Too Far
“When the accused saw her, he was thunderstruck and stood there, speechless, for some time. Then he just managed to regain enough of his composure to embrace the emperor’s feet in tears and become a humble petitioner.” […]
Human Affairs
Noble Thieves; Just Deserts
“When Hading came home from his Swedish campaigns he found that the treasury in which he usually stowed the proceeds of his warfare and plundering had been broken into and riffled. He immediately hanged his guard, Glumer, and devised a cunning scheme. ” […]
History
A Failed Surprise Gift
“Now Charles had no guess of what was coming; and, though he could not refuse what seemed to have been divinely preordained for him, nevertheless he received his new title with no show of thankfulness.” […]
History
The Bear-Killin’ King
“He had asked the guardians who were bringing him up conscientiously for permission to go and see the hunting when he encountered a bear of unusual size.” […]
Britons and Celts
A King Conspires Against Himself
“Elidurus ordered his servants, who had been forewarned of this, to seize each man as he came in and to cut off his head if he would not swear allegiance a second time to his brother Archgallo.” […]
Greek and Roman
A Ban on Good Hair
“So he published an edict that everywhere men should cut their hair close to the skin and that no Roman should be permitted to wear his hair below the neck.” […]
Britons and Celts
Stubbornness of a Virgin King
“Constrained rather than overcome by the entreaties of his mother, that he might not distress her, he yielded a seeming compliance. Joyously attending on her son when he had retired to bed, she placed by his unresisting side a beautiful and noble virgin.” […]
Violence
The King Turns the Tide
“With this he took up his shield and the sacred lance, and putting himself at the head of the horsemen he turned against the enemy, fulfilling the functions both a very brave soldier and a very great commander.” […]