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!”’ […]
Issues
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!” […]
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.” […]
History
To Defy a Khan
“Never in our time were so many men engaged on one battlefield, especially so many horsemen. So many died on either side that it was a marvel to behold.” […]
Medieval Mentality
To Stare in the Face of Death
“One dies from a sword blow in the midst of battle; vultures and ravening lions devour his body, spears and swords slash his head. Another dies in his bed, but it is certain that we must all die.” […]
Human Affairs
Stubbornness of the Stable Boy
“When I was coming to you just now, the porter closed the gates in front of me. So I kicked the gate with my foot so that the iron broke to pieces, and the gate fell all to pieces.” […]
Viking
Two Against One and the Odds are Even
“Thorbjorn rushed forward and swung a blow at Grettir, who drew his buckler with his left hand to parry it, then thrust out with his sword, splitting Thorbjorn’s shield and striking him such a blow on the head that his brains spilled out and he fell down dead on the spot.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Phalanx March
“As ravening fire rips through big stands of timber high on a mountain ridge and the blaze flares miles away, so from the marching troops the blaze of bronze armor, splendid and superhuman, flared across the earth, flashing into the air to hit the skies.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Dolphins and the Fishermen
“They put themselves between the open sea and the shore and drive the mullet into shallow water. Then the fishermen set their nets and lift the fish out of the water with two-pronged spears. The speed of some of the mullet enables them to leap over the barriers, but the dolphins still catch them.” […]
Britons and Celts
Wife-Swapping Brits
“Wives are shared between groups of ten or twelve men, especially between brothers and between fathers and sons, but the offspring of these unions are counted as the children of the man with whom a particular woman cohabited.” […]