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...
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 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...
Dividing wealth among treasure-hunters is often a tense task, prone to arguments and suspicion, but relationships in such situations can become especially strained when...
Sigurd the Volsung (Scandinavian-Germanic mythical hero)
"When men come to battle, a fearless heart serves a man better than a sharp sword."
From The Saga...
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...
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...
Marcus Aurelius (c. 121-180)
"Be not querulous, be Content with little, be kind, be free; avoid all superfluity, all vain prattling; be magnanimous."
From Marcus...
Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE)
"Fear does not generally admit of mercy in extreme danger."
From Julius Caesar's War Commentaries (Gallic War, 7.26) by Gaius Julius...
Plato (c. 427-347 BCE)
"If someone is self-disciplined and good-tempered, old age isn't too much of a burden; otherwise, it's not just a question of...
Egil Skallagrimsson (10th century Viking-age poet)
"Blind, I must bear
this eye ailment,
blunder to the fire, beg
mercy from a maidservant;
formerly a fierce king
warmed to my words;
the...
