Ancient Classics

The Victorians were obsessed with Egyptology and mummies. It was during the second half of the 19th century that many of the most significant archeological finds were made in Egypt, and stories of the revenge of the mummies on anyone raiding their tombs, stealing their treasures or unwrapping their corpses abounded. This collection brings together the best and scariest short stories of the period, featuring vengeance-seeking mummies, bandaged zombies, pharaonic ghosts and ancient curses.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of William Shakespeare’s most well-known comedies and is arguably one of his most beloved plays. The play tells the tale of the misadventures of the people gathering to participate in their marriage of the duke of Athens and Hippolyta, former queen of the Amazons.

The Lower Depths, also titled At the Bottom, is a 1902 play by the Russian author and playwright Maxim Gorky (1868-1936). This work portrays a group of wretched, impoverished outcasts living in a shelter near the Volga River. They play cards and tell stories, and are briefly uplifted by a new resident called Luca who gives them hope. When he goes off, the illusion of hope collapses, and the result is murder and suicide.

The Phaedrus by Plato, is a dialogue between Plato's protagonist, Socrates, and Phaedrus, an interlocutor in several dialogues. It was probably written around 370 BC, at about the same time as Plato's Republic and Symposium. Ostensibly about love, the discussion in the dialogue focuses on the art of rhetoric and how it ought to be practiced. The dialogue appears in the direct words of Socrates and Phaedrus, without an introduction.

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.

Medea es una obra teatral en la que el personaje principal, Medea, mata a sus hijos para vengarse de su esposo, quien la ha dejado por otra mujer. A pesar de lo terrible de este acto, se ha identificado a este personaje con la mujer enganada. El analisis de esta obra ha generado muchas controversias. Esta es la obra mas famosa de Eurpides.

A versão em áudio desta descrição da Guerra de Tróia é rica em elementos sonoros ligados às batalhas, à natureza, às manifestações dos deuses e à musicalidade grega. Com a participação de 16 profissionais de voz, entre atores, narradores e dubladores, que interpretam 34 personagens, além da voz do narrador.Vozes: Angela Couto (Atena); Barros Batista (Antíloco, Hermes, Dólon e Glauco); Carol Leiderfarb (Hera); Di Ramon (rei da Lícia, Menelau, soldado troiano e Príamo).

"Qu'est-ce qu'une femme ? Une déesse mortelle. Une déesse ? Une femme immortelle." Qui parle ? Le Poète (inutile, autrefois, de préciser "Homère"), dans l'Iliade, notre naissance en littérature. Loin d'être la faiblesse des hommes et des dieux, la femme et la déesse sont la force du chant : tout part de la déesse invoquée ; tout remonte à Hélène, la femme désirée, selon le vouloir d'Aphrodite. Elles sont là, reines, mères et filles, sœurs et épouses, amantes ou solitaires. Inséparables des hommes et des dieux.

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.

Masterfully read by award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti, travel to the town of Hamelin suffering from a rat infestation, when a piper dressed in multicolored ("pied") clothing appeared, claiming to be a rat-catcher. He promised the mayor a solution to their problem with the rats. The mayor, in turn, promised to pay him for the removal of the rats (according to some versions of the story, the promised sum was 1,000 guilders). The piper accepted and played his pipe to lure the rats into the Weser River, where they all drowned. The rest is a legend enjoyed for centuries.

Probably one of the most dissected seduction poems ever written, "To His Coy Mistress" is a metaphysical poem written by the English author and politician Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) either during or just before the English Interregnum (1649-60). It was published posthumously in 1681. This poem is considered one of Marvell's finest and is possibly the best recognized carpe diem poem in English. Although the date of its composition is not known, it may have been written in the early 1650s.

Oscar Wilde was sentenced to two years in prison, part of which he spent in Reading Gaol. About five months after Wilde arrived at Reading Gaol, Charles Thomas Wooldridge, a trooper in the Royal Horse Guards, was brought to Reading to await his trial for murdering his common-law wife (and promptly presenting himself and confessing to a policeman) on 29 March 1896; on 17 June, Wooldridge was sentenced to death and returned to Reading for his execution, which took place on Tuesday, 7 July 1896 - the first hanging at Reading in 18 years. The poem is dedicated to him.

In this third installment, Eisenstadter brings an ancient Greek myth to modern-day life, as we meet Bellerophon, the heroic mortal who captures and rides the beloved horse, Pegasus, on a mission to slay the monster, Chimera! With his success in slaying the Chimera, though, Bellerophon comports more pride and a sense of expected entitlement, and he is taught a lesson by the gods - a lesson that changes the rest of his life.

Balancing a lighthearted approach with profound psychological insight, Ovid tells a thrilling tale of male and female and of divinity and humanity.

The Myth of Phaeton is the first audiobook in the exciting The Broadcast Muse Audio Theatre - Episodes For Radio From Myths Of Ancient Greece series! In this first installment, Eisenstadter brings an ancient Greek myth to modern-day life, as we experience Phaeton meeting his father, the god Helios, and defying the gods by riding his father's chariot to unattainable heights!

Myths and legends form the foundation for all cultures. The Greek and Roman myths were early tales created to explain the world and are now inextricably woven throughout music, art, film, theater, literature, politics and daily life. Thousands of years old, these myths continue to inspire and intrigue. Myth: Dreams of The World, keeps these stories vibrant with new recordings by an intriguing array of artists including Iggy Pop, George Clinton, Lori Carson, Suzanne Vega, Lemmy, Jaron Lanier, and more.

Narrated in Middle English by J.B. Bessinger, Jr.

Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? Who would you ask if you'd encountered something inexplicable? First-century Roman lawyer, magistrate, and author Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, historically remembered as Pliny the Younger, wrote to his mentor about manifestations, incarnations, prognostications, and a strange happening within his own household. With what wisdom would you reply to such an epistle?

William Wymark Jacobs (1863-1943) was an English author of short stories and novels. His most popular works in the early part of the last century were his humorous tales set around the docks of Wapping and in the taproom of the infamous Cauliflower tavern. Many of his stories were written in a cockney vernacular and were keenly observant of character. 'The White Cat' is a humorous tale of a disputed inheritance, a clever old rogue and a suspiciously mislaid white cat.

AudioLearn's Philosophy Classics presents Plato's Republic. Welcome to our discussion of this classical work. Plato was one of the world's first political scientists. His most famous work, The Republic, was written 24 and a half centuries ago - 360 years before the birth of Christ. Yet many of the debates he provoked, issues he raised, and insights he provided are still with us today.