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...
(German city painted by Sebastian Münster (1488-1552), via Creative Commons)
An Unbelievably Bizarre Anabaptist Rebellion
During the 1530s, a strange occurrence blandly labeled the Münster...
Einhard (c. 770-840)
"I do not doubt that there are many people, devoted to contemplation and learning, who think that the circumstances of the present...
This painting, by the Hungarian artist Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl (c. 1860–1933), was inspired by one of the most famous scenes in Homer’s epic poem, The...
The renowned ancient philosopher, Aristotle (c. 384-322 BCE), warned that democracies were more vulnerable to becoming oligarchical in cases where the state allowed dramatic...
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...
Mencius (c. 372-289 BCE)
"All that matters is that there should be benevolence and righteousness."
From The Mencius (Book I, Part A, section 1) by Mencius,...
Benjamin Franklin (c. 1706-1790)
"It is ill-manners to silence a Fool, and Cruelty to let him go on."
From Poor Richard’s Almanac by Benjamin Franklin. The...
