Greece’s Acheloüs (or Akhelóös) River, which flows well over 200 kilometers through Epirus to the Corinthian Gulf, is arguably the longest river in Greece....
Njal’s Saga (written anonymously in the 13th century)
"Money means less than life."
This quote, from the largely fictionalized Njal’s Saga, was attributed to anonymous...
According to folklore set in 10th-century Iceland, a man named Thrain Sigfusson was invited to attend the wedding feast of his prominent nephew, Gunnar...
Njal’s Saga (written anonymously in the 13th century)
"It's not breaking a settlement...if a man deals lawfully with another—with law our land shall rise, but...
Greece’s Acheloüs (or Akhelóös) River, which flows well over 200 kilometers through Epirus to the Corinthian Gulf, is arguably the longest river in Greece....
This print, by the Austrian-German artist Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner (c. 1702-1761), was inspired by the ancient myth of Momus, who judged an art contest...
This painting, created by the Danish-Norwegian artist Johannes Flintoe (1787-1870), depicts a scene from Egil’s Saga, an Icelandic text that recounts tales about the...
Peregrinus of Parium, who evidently liked the nickname Proteus (and is therefore often known as Peregrinus Proteus), was a 2nd-century philosopher from the Cynic...
This painting, by the artist Benjamin Wolff (c. 19th century), was inspired by the death of a Carthaginian noblewoman named Sophonisba (also spelled Sophonisbe...
William Shakespeare (c. 1564 – 1616)
" anything can be amiss,
When simplicity and duty tender it."
From William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act...
Sir Winston Churchill (c. 1874-1965)
"How else are we going to marshal adequate and if possible overwhelming forces against brazen, unprovoked aggression, except by a...
William Shakespeare (c. 1564 – 1616)
"Lovers and madmen have such seething brains,
Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend
More than cool reason ever comprehends.
The lunatic, the...
(Sketch of a super-crossbow by Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), via Creative Commons)
The crossbow was an effective weapon used by many cultures across the...
Heraclitus (Ancient Greek philosopher, 6th-5th century BCE)
"Much learning does not teach men understanding."
From fragment 40 of Heraclitus, translated by Diels-Kranz (c. 1951-52).
(1907 photograph of the Great Wall of China, photographed by Herbert Ponting (1870-1935), via Creative Commons)
The official construction of the Great Wall of...
Miyamoto Musashi (Japanese duelist, soldier, artist, construction worker, and author, c. 1584-1645)
"Whatever attitude you are in, do not be conscious of making the attitude;...
(Alexander painted by Placido Costanzi (Italian, 1702-1759) and dancers from a banquet of song and dance. Isfahan, possibly late Safavid or Zand era. artist...
Geoffrey Chaucer (English poet, 1342-1400)
"Yet we have four live coals, as I can show;
Lies, boasting, greed and rage will always glow."
From Geoffrey Chaucer's...
