Violence
A Just Castration
“Caught taking part in this terrible ploy, he was mercifully condemned to losing his eyes and genitals when he deserved to be choked to death by a noose.” […]
Repost
Human Affairs
Brats are Eternal
“I want it very much; do not withhold it from me. In this I will see whether you love me as a real father does.” […]
Britons and Celts
Vortigern’s Dying Wish
“Renwein collected all the information she could about noxious poisons and then, by the hands of one of his servants whom she had first corrupted with innumerable bribes, she gave Vortimer a poison to drink.” […]
Greek and Roman
Omens Are Everywhere
“Another time, when he was sleeping in a tavern, a snake wound itself round his head, and when his friends were alarmed and shouted out, the creature went away without harming him.” […]
Greek and Roman
An Emperor and Gladiator
“For such things as these, to be sure, he was strong enough, but otherwise he was weak and feeble, even having something wrong with him in the groin, which stuck out so much that the Roman people could detect the swelling through his silk clothing. Many verses were written on this subject. ” […]
Humor
A Horse is a Horse of Course of Course
“He slept again, and again the dragon emerged from the dark. Rakhsh stamped on Rostam’s pillow and pawed at the ground, and once more Rostam woke. He sprang up, his face sallow with apprehension, and gazed about him, but he saw nothing except the darkness. He said to his kind, wise horse, “You should sleep in the night’s darkness, but you keep waking me up; why are you in such a hurry for me to be awake? If you disturb me again like this, I’ll cut off your feet with my sword. I’ll go on foot, dragging my lance and heavy mace to Mazanderan.” […]
Britons and Celts
Gryphon Vs. Simurgh
“The bird stretched her talons to seize the servants of God. Just then, suddenly, the bird which on the earlier occasion brought them the branch with the fruits, flew swiftly up to the Gryphon, which immediately made to devour her. But that bird defended herself until she overcame and tore out the eyes of the Gryphon.” […]
Greek and Roman
On the Topic of Opium
“For my own part, however, I do not approve of opium entering into the composition of eye-salves, and still less of the preparations from it known as febrifuges, digestives, and cœliacs: the black poppy, however, is very generally prescribed, in wine, for cœliac affections.” […]
History
The Peasants Push Back
“Suddenly the king’s men cast off their cloaks and unsheathed their swords, but the villagers, seeing what was coming, surged forward vehemently with their weapons.” […]
Human Affairs
Marriage in the Afterlife
“They give the dead girl to the dead boy as a wife and draw up a deed of matrimony. Then they burn this deed, and declare that the smoke that rises into the air goes to their children in the other world and that they get wind of it and regard themselves as husband and wife.” […]