Ancient Classics

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.

The Trojan War is over, and Odysseus, the cunning king of Ithaca, sets out for home, his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. It proves a long, 10-year journey, fraught with dangers, from Polyphemus, the one-eyed Cyclops, and the seductive Sirens, to the love of Calypso on her all-too-comfortable isle.

The Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, which records his private notes to himself and his ideas on Stoic philosophy. A major theme of Meditations is the importance of analyzing one's judgment of self and others, and the development of a cosmic perspective.

Der Autor Felix Dahn war ein durchaus seriöser Historiker. Sein in der Zeit von 1859 bis 1876 entstandener monumentaler Roman "Ein Kampf um Rom" war bis in die 50er Jahre des vorigen Jahrhunderts ungemein populär. Er schildert den tragischen Niedergang eines Volkes aus verheißungsvollen Anfängen. Als Geschichtswissenschaftler achtete Dahn darauf, den Roman – nach damaligem Wissensstand – so historisch korrekt wie möglich zu schreiben. Dass die moderne Geschichtsschreibung manches anders sieht und darstellt, versteht sich.

Widely known as the master of horror, Edgar Allan Poe has held the world enraptured for more than 150 years with his dark and powerful works. This collection will sweep you away into a world of literary brilliance.

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....

The multi-award winning SmartPass full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play.

Patrick Hunt's Myths for All Time presents twelve of the most timeless Greek myths retold in an affable, succinct fashion. These twelve myths, which have survived through the millennia, are made applicable today through Hunt's emphasis on the overriding message of each story. With foundations in ancient Greek scholarship, society, and philosophy, these stories have grown and taken new forms and thus remain relevant.

Dies ist ein Epos von alttestamentarischer Wucht, das uns von Seite zu Seite mehr gefangen nimmt. Kenntnisreich führt Franz Werfel in das 5. vorchristliche Jahrhundert und gibt tiefe Einblicke in die so verschiedenen Kulturen Ägyptens, Babylons und Jehudas. Hautnah erleben wir die Kämpfe Mardukh Nebukadnezars gegen Jerusalem und die Zerstörung des Tempels. Inmitten dramatischer Auseinandersetzungen ringt ein Mann mit seinem Gott um die Seele und das Schicksal seines Volkes: Jeremias.

This superbly written, highly listenable account of the tumult of A.D. 69 focuses on the four men who sought imperial power in the void left by Nero: an old man, a soldier, a playboy, and an extravagant debaucher. The empire-wide, year-long civil war that resulted is brought to life in this sustained narrative, which is rich in detail, intrigue, and insight, as well as the aristocratic biases of the author.

Cuando durante la caída del imperio romano, los bárbaros se hicieron con la menorá, candelabro de siete brazos del templo de Salomón, va a contagiarse el desánimo entre la comunidad judía. Tiene que recuperarse su símbolo nacional y religioso a cualquier precio. Y es la historia de la persona que va intentar recuperar ese objeto sagrado, la que constituye el meollo de la historia narrada como siempre con la meticulosidad a que nos tienen acostumbrados el señor Zweig.

"L'Atlàntida" de Verdaguer s'estructura en deu cants en quartets de versos alexandrins amb rima consonàntica alternant, precedits d'una "Introducció" i seguits per una "Conclusió", ambdues en sextets de versos decasíl·labs. Aquesta estructura formal, que es correspon, com veurem, amb el contingut argumental, es trencada sovint amb la inclusió d'altres esquemes mètrics. Un jove mariner genovès anomenat Crostòfor Colom, únic supervivent d'un naufragi, arriba a la costa atlàntica d'Andalusia.

Walt Whitman said, "...poetry is the voice of the nation, expressing its deepest concerns, ambitions and longings," which is certainly true of the great classic poetry of America. This wide-ranging anthology, from the earliest poets of the 16th century to the present day, reflects the changing preoccupations and visions of Americans, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, E.E. Cummings, and more.

Odnoobraznuju zhizn' provincial'nogo gorodka Verhopol'e narushaet priezd stroitelej zheleznoj dorogi - inzhenerov Cherkuna i Cyganova. Na smenu patriarhal'nomu varvarstvu gorodskogo golovy Redozubova jeti "poborniki civilizacii" nesut novoe varvarstvo: moral'nuju degradaciju i zhestokoe ravnodushie k cheloveku. Potrebovalos' nemnogo vremeni, chtoby obnaruzhilis' plody ih razrushitel'noj dejatel'nosti.

Spektakl MHAT im. Gorkogo. 20 fevralja 1598 g. Uzhe mesjac, kak Boris Godunov zatvorilsja vmeste so svoej sestroj v monastyre, pokinuv «vse mirskoe» i otkazyvajas' prinjat' moskovskij prestol. Narod ob#jasnjaet otkaz Godunova venchat'sja na carstvo v nuzhnom dlja Borisa duhe: «Ego strashit sijanie prestola».

Spektakl' "Otcy i deti" po motivam odnoimennogo romana russkogo pisatelja Ivana Sergeevicha Turgeneva. Konflikt pokolenij. Glavnye geroi Arkadij Kirsanov i Evgenij Bazarov - absoljutno raznye po mirovozzreniju ljudi. V to vremja, kak pervyj bolee sklonen opirat'sja na mnenie starshego pokolenija, vtoroj sovershenno otricaet ego. I korit svoego prijatelja za izlishnjuju mjagkotelost', schitaja chto tot nahoditsja pod sil'nym vlijaniem svoih otca i djadi, vremja kotoryh, po ego mneniju, proshlo…

In The Merchant of Venice, the path to marriage is hazardous. To win Portia, Bassanio must pass a test prescribed by her father's will, choosing correctly among three caskets or chests. If he fails, he may never marry at all. Bassanio and Portia also face a magnificent villain, the moneylender Shylock. Portia is most remembered for her disguise as a lawyer, Balthazar, especially the speech in which she urges Shylock to show mercy that "[D]roppeth as the gentle rain from heaven". Please note: This audiobook is in Russian.

Often considered to be Ibsen's most popular play in his lifetime, The League of Youth caused fighting in the streets, with conservatives claiming it was an attack on their party and liberals claiming it was an attack on theirs! A thought-provoking comedy that's sure to feel shockingly familiar. Unusually for Ibsen, this play has a lot of humour and a more-or-less happy ending.

Der Dichter selbst verspricht: "Wir werden sicheren Liebesgenuss und erlaubte Heimlichkeiten besingen, und in meinem Gedicht wird kein Verbrechen gelehrt." Ob das 2000 Jahre alte Lehrgedicht über die Liebe heutzutage noch praktisch hilfreich ist, müssen Jüngere beurteilen. Die ältere Generation mag jedenfalls ihr ästhetisches Vergnügen daran haben. Oder wird man mich schelten, weil ich ein Frauenbild verbreiten helfe, das so gar nicht in unsere Zeit passt (und das ja auch gar nicht meines ist)?

Universally admired and quoted, Shakespeare’s Sonnets have love, beauty and the passing of time at their heart. Featuring some of the best-known and best-loved lines in the history of poetry (‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’, ‘Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds’), these evocative sonnets explore passion, the fleeting nature of beauty and the essence of true and everlasting love.