Human Affairs
The Insanity Defense
“All he did savoured of utter lethargy. In a word, you would not have thought him a man at all, but some absurd abortion due to a mad fit of destiny.” […]
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Medieval Mentality
God Frowns on Wine, But Brandy is OK
“If wine is boiled over a fire, so that it is partly consumed and turns sweet, they are free to drink it without breach of commandment or law.” […]
History
An End to the Peace
“Then King Harald sent the man named Herleif, and with him the contingent of Germans, to meet King Hring, and had them set up hazel stakes on the battlefield for him and claim the site of the battled, and pronounce the breaking of peace and friendship.” […]
Greek and Roman
Zeus’ Wrath
“He paid the penalty of his arrogance towards the gods, since he was slain by a stroke of lightning and his entire house was submerged in the Alban lake.” […]
Britons and Celts
Not Built to Turn the Other Cheek
“But Wallace quickly brought the rascal back,
And there give him the whistle of his plack.
Along his ribs he gave him such a rout,
Till all his entrails and his lungs hung out;” […]
Human Affairs
The Sex-Trap
” His wiliness (said these) would be most readily detected, if a fair woman were put in his way in some secluded place, who should provoke his mind to the temptations of love; all men’s natural temper being too blindly amorous to be artfully dissembled, and this passion being also too impetuous to be checked by cunning. ” […]
Britons and Celts
Caesar in Battle
“Ceasar’s sword glanced off Nennius’ helmet and cut into his shield so deeply that, when they had to abandon their hand-to-hand fight because of the troops who crowded in on them, the Emperor could not wrench his sword out.” […]
Medieval Mentality
Three Kings of Orient Tell Their Tale
“For they said: “If he takes gold, he is an earthly king; if frankincense, a god, if myrrh a healer.” When they had come to the place where the prophet was born, the youngest of the three kings went in alone to see the child.” […]
Greek and Roman
Origins of Spartan Civilization
“The Lacedaemonians, by observing the laws of Lycurgus, from a lowly people grew to be the most powerful among the Greeks and maintained the leadership among the Greek states for over four hundred years, but after that time, as they little by little began to relax each one of the institutions and to turn to luxury and indifference, and as they grew so corrupted as to use coined money and to amass wealth, they lost the leadership.” […]
Britons and Celts
The Violent Youth of a Violent Hero
“His dagger with the other hand drew out,
In spite of all his men so throng about,
And boldly without either fear or dread,
Upon the spot he stick’d young Selbie dead.” […]