Showing results by narrator "Andrea Giordani" in All Categories

The story of Romulus is perhaps the most noteworthy entry in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives. According to legend, Romulus and his brother Remus founded Rome after being raised by a “she-wolf”, though Plutarch notes that this word was also used to describe sexually immoral women. “The Life of Romulus” shows how it is impossible to separate the man from the myth. For this reason, Plutarch’s portrait of Romulus argues that legends often have as great an influence on culture as the truth.

"German Kingdoms in the West" is part of Lynn Thorndike’s History of Medieval Europe. The section discusses the kingdoms that arose in Western Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire. The kingdoms were those of the Franks, Burgundians, the Visigoths in the Iberian peninsula, the Vandals in Africa and Sicily, and the Lombards in Italy.

Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) was a famous French poet. His most celebrated work is The Flowers of Evil, a collection of lyrical poetry.

The Satires comprises a collection of satirical poems by the Latin author Juvenal written in the second century CE. Juvenal wrote in the Roman tradition of “satura”, a formal literary genre composed in dactylic hexameter rather than just witty criticism in any format. In a tone and manner that ranges from irony to rage, Juvenal criticizes the actions and beliefs of his contemporaries.

Inferno follows Dante through hell, with only an roman poet named Virgil to guide him. Dante loses his way in a forest and stumbles across Hell; but Virgil tells him that if he ventures through hell he can reach Heaven where his beloved awaits....

Pausanias is one of the most interestingly complicated figures in Greek history. A Spartan hero, he was also a Spartan villain; even his own contemporaries did not know what to make of him. Explore his life with Cornelius Nepos and come to your own conclusion - was Pausanias great or terrible?

O Pioneers! is a 1913 novel by Willa Cather, the first of her “prairie trilogy” of novels. It tells the story of the Bergsons, a family of Swedish immigrants in the farm country near the fictional town of Hanover, Nebraska, at the turn of the 20th century. The protagonist, Alexandra Bergson, inherits the family farm when her father dies, and devotes her life to making the farm a success at a time when many other families are giving up and leaving the land.

"The Study of History" is the introduction to Lynn Thorndike’s History of Medieval Europe. It provides a definition of history and explains terms like "natural history" and the difference between prehistory and the historical ages. There are also sections on archaeology and historical sources.

The Secret Adversary, which is the first novel in the series that follows Tommy and Tuppence, chronicles the pair's quest to find a mysterious woman who goes by the name of Jane Finn. Earlier in 1915, Jane Finn had been given a secret document while aboard the Lusitania, which was sunk due to a torpedo hit. That document was a treaty, and Jane was entrusted by the stranger who gave it to her to deliver it to the American Embassy located in London. Years later, the document has still never been delivered....

Mark Antony’s personal life was almost as storied as his immensely successful political career. In Plutarch’s biography, the most striking sections revolve around Antony’s relationship with Cleopatra. Plutarch’s characterization inspired Shakespeare, whose play "Antony and Cleopatra" would not be the same without its influence. With such close ties to Shakespeare, it’s no wonder that the The Life of Antony holds great literary merit all its own.

Here we find a history of a historian, the great Roman statesman Cato who was one of the few who resisted the Hellenization brought about by Alexander the Great. A man of many talents, he soon garnered the title of "Cato the Wise" and carried out every job from treasurer to military leader. Witness his valiant fight for Roman culture and customs in the face of enroaching outside influence.

Epaminondas was known better for his way with words than his way with a sword. He used his wits on the battlefield to lead armies and took the honor of himself and his men most seriously. Nepos here admires the Theban orator who could out-speak any Athenian.

In contrast to some of the other, bloodier names listed in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, Demosthenes was a great orator and politician. The Life of Demosthenes starts out uniquely, detailing Demosthenes’ commitment to his study - one so fierce that he built an underground study room and shaved half his head so he wouldn’t go outside. All this was to take his guardians to court for not allowing him to take gymnastics, but his education went on to help him in the end. Going on to write speeches for the greatest politicians, Demosthenes made his mark on Ancient Greece through his craft.

This tale follows eight individuals all searching for the Great Carbuncle, a legendary red gemstone. These wildly disparate individuals camp together one night in the White Mountains, united by their shared desire for the stone. Each wants it for a different reason, though: fulfilment, knowledge, wealth, skepticism, inspiration, posterity, utility. The next morning, they all part ways to continue their quest, but who will be the first to the stone?

Emile Zola applies his keen eye to the human condition in this masterpiece plagued by passions, guilt, and the ghosts that haunt our psyche. Often perceived as a play of temperaments, Zola tells the story of Therese’s unhappy marriage to Camille and her subsequent affair with one of her husband’s friends, Laurent. With his dark symbolism often reaching claustrophobic depths, we become more acquainted with what drives our most animalistic instincts.

In this chapter from Lynn Thorndike's The History of Medieval Europe, gradually there grew up in the medieval West a native merchant class who devoted most of their time to buying and selling. They found it advisable to band together for mutual support and protection; in the towns a merchant guild arose as a sort of medieval chamber of commerce. A guild consisted of apprentices, journeymen, and master-workmen.

In this classic devotional book, St. Francis de Sales shows the average believer how to become closer to God. St. Francis avoids the extremes that might lead to imbalance; his purpose is to arouse in the listener a complete love of, and trust in God. This life of devotion is open to everyone. The book is easy to understand, explaining in simple terms how to expand one’s spiritual life, with examples from scripture and from a variety of other sources. It covers topics such as creation, cleansing the soul, confession, sin, death, judgment and paradise.

Complete with seven short stories, this is the definitive anthology for Nathaniel Hawthorne fans. Hawthorne’s dark romanticism and cultural commentary made him a staple of 19th-century American literature. Dive into the works that made him famous, such as the chilling “Young Goodman Brown”. Hawthorne delved deep into the human soul with his work, and now you can delve deep into his soul with this collection.

Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a children's classic. The story is about a young boy named Cedric who lives with his mother in a tiny cottage in New York after his father dies. Luckily for Cedric, a lawyer finds him and tells him that he is the heir to the title of earl and a vast estate in England. His grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, has sent for him, and it is his grandfather's wish that Cedric come to the estate to learn to be an aristocrat with the new title Lord Fauntleroy.

In this biography, Plutarch states that Tiberius Gracchus was known more for his virtue than for his achievements. Tiberius’ virtue, and thus his legacy, lies in his actions as a reformer. Himself a plebeian leader, he sought to aid the poor by giving them some of the land belonging to wealthy landowners. These reforms shook the Roman world and led to his assassination, making Tiberius a martyr for working-class people and the politicians who fight for their rights.