Unfortunately, information on the earliest periods of Rome’s history are scant and heavily obscured under thick layers of folklore and myth. The city by...
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...
This illustration, vaguely labeled “Charlemagne” or “Charlemagne: Emperor of West and King of France,” was created by the French artist Jean Marie Mixelle (c....
Dante Alighieri (c. 1265-1321)
"Just as a swimmer, who with his last breath
flounders ashore from perilous seas, might turn
to memorize the wide water of his...
Mark Twain (c. 1835-1910)
"No sound and legitimate business can be established on a basis of speculation."
From chapter 19 of Mark Twain’s A Connecticut...
This tapestry, by an unknown 17th-century workshop, depicts the beginning of a raucous myth involving three deities. The female character on the right side...
This rather abstract painting, by the Finnish artist Magnus Enckell (c. 1870-1925), was inspired by the ancient Greco-Roman myth of Endymion. His tale is...
The Buddha (this saying recorded c. 3rd century BCE)
"Better than a thousand statements
composed of meaningless words
is a single meaningful word which,
having been heard, brings...
Xenophon (c. 420-350 BCE)
"Let us be the ones who first arouse others to demonstrate their valour. Prove yourselves the best possible officers! Prove yourselves...
This tapestry, titled Caesar Defeats The Troops Of Pompey, was designed by Justus van Egmont (1601–1674) and woven by the workshop of Gerard Peemans...
This tapestry, by an unknown 17th-century workshop, depicts the beginning of a raucous myth involving three deities. The female character on the right side...
Ovid (43 BCE-17 CE), a masterful Roman poet, wrote verses about romance, love, eroticism, and all manner of topics related to women—including fashion trends—in...
Lucan (c. 39-65)
"Virtue and absolute power do not mix."
From Lucan’s Civil War (Book 8, approximately between lines 600-610), translated by Matthew Fox (Penguin...
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...
(Bicycle-mounted Japanese troops in the Philippines c. 1941-1942, via Creative Commons)
The Japanese literally pedaled their way to victory in the Battle of Singapore
The military...
(Ceremonies of the cult of Isis. Coloured engraving by Ron von Spalart, via Welcome Images and Creative Commons)
What is a Mystery Religion?
Information is scarce...
(Coin of Phocas, via Creative Commons and Classical Numismatic Group)
The Incredible Story of the Byzantine Emperor Phokas (Ruled 602-610)
When we usually think of ancient...
Erasmus (1466-1536)
"No veneration of Mary is more beautiful than the imitation of her humility. No devotion to the saints is more acceptable to God...
(Battle of Arcadiopolis by John Skylitzes c. 11th century, via Creative Commons)
The Byzantine Battle of Arcadiopolis
In the spring of 970, the Byzantine...
(Artillery at Messines in 1917, via Australian War Memorial)
This Shocking Allied Plan Made The German Defenses Just Disappear
(Map of the Battle of...
(Christ Carrying the Cross c. 1565 by Titian, via Creative Commons)
Confucius and Jesus Preached the Golden Rule Centuries Apart
Most people know that one of...
(Mithridates bust in Louvre Museum, via Creative Commons)
As each new year passes, the cumbersome encyclopedia of history continues to grow larger and larger....
(Portrait of Martin Luther as an Augustinian Monk, from the Workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) , via Creative Commons)
On Halloween day,...
