Sacred Texts: The Classics

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However, any text which has survived from this period of antiquity is, by definition, a classic. Many of these texts were only saved from the flames of the dark ages in locations remote from Rome and Athens, such as the legendary city of Timbuktu in central Africa, Irish monastaries, and by Islamic scholars in centers of learning as Baghdad. Greek HOMER Works of Homer: The Iliad of Homer, Samuel Butler translator [1898] The Odyssey of Homer, Samuel Butler translator [1900] The Homeric Hymn to Demeter The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer in Greek HESIOD Works of Hesiod: Hesiod's Theogony Works and Days ORPHEUS The Hymns of Orpheus, by Thomas Taylor [1792] SAPPHO The Poems of Sappho English and Transliterated Greek The Poems of Sappho (Unicode) English and Greek The Songs of Bilitis by Pierre Louÿs, tr. by Alvah C. Bessie [1926] A famous hoax, which has had a huge impact on our modern perception of Sappho. HERODOTUS The History of Herodotus parallel English/Greek English tr. by G. C. Macaulay [1890] The epochal conflict between the Greeks and Persians, by 'the Father of History.' AESOP The Fables of Aesop APOLLONIUS RHODIUS The Argonautica parallel English/Greek. English tr. by R.C. Seaton [1912] The primary text for the story of Jason, the Argonauts, and the quest for the Golden Fleece. AESCHYLUS The Dramas of Aeschylus ARISTOTLE The Works of Aristotle SOPHOCLES The Dramas of Sophocles EURIPIDES The Dramas of Euripides PLATO The Dialogues of Plato PYTHAGORAS The Golden Verses of Pythagoras, by Florence M. Firth [1902] Roman VIRGIL Works of Virgil: The Aeneid English and Latin The Eclogues J.W. MacKail tr. [1934]. English and Latin The Georgics J.W. MacKail tr. [1934]. English and Latin APULEIUS The Golden Asse By Apuleius. Translated by William Adlington. [1566] The Most Pleasant and Delectable Tale of The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche By Apuleius. Translated by William Adlington. Illustrations by Dorothy Mullock [1914] PLOTINUS The Enneads of Plotinus MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS Meditations 247,149 bytes LUCRETIUS On The Nature Of Things By Titus Lucretius Carus 447,623 bytes OVID Works of Ovid: Metamorphoses English and Latin Amores, Ars Amatoria, Remedia Amoris and Medicamina Faciei Femineae English and Latin PETRONIUS Gaius Petronius: The Satyricon of Petronius PRIAPEIA The Priapeia Translated by L.C. Smithers and Sir Richard Burton [1890] English and Latin TACITUS The Works of Tacitus parallel English and Latin text. tr. by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb [1864-1877] The preeminent Latin historian of the first century CE. EMPEROR JULIAN Two Orations of the Emperor Julian Translated by Thomas Taylor [1793] Other Roman resources The Royal Museum at Naples, Being Some Account of The Erotic Paintings, Bronzes, and Statues Contained in that Famous "Cabinet Secret", by Stanislas Marie César Famin [1871] Sixty lithographs of erotic Roman art and artifacts. Latin Resources at wordgumbo.com [External Site] General Bulfinch's Mythology Bulfinch's able retelling of the classic myths has served as an introduction to the subject for generation of readers. The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children by Charles Kingsley [1901] A retelling of the myths of Perseus, Jason and the Argonauts, and Theseus for young adults, with lavish art-deco illustrations. The Sibylline Oracles Translated by Milton S. Terry [1899]. The (pseudo)-Sibylline Oracles are ancient books of prophecy. Myths of Crete and Pre-Hellenic Europe by Donald A. Mackenzie. [1917] A survey of what is known about the civilization of ancient Crete. The Dionysian Artificers by Hippolyto Joseph da Costa [1820]. Ancient Fragments by I. P. Cory [1832] Lives of the Greek Heroines by Louisa Menzies [1880] The Mysteries of Mithra by Franz Cumont [1903] Learn about the religion that might have taken the place of Christianity. The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism by Franz Cumont [1911] Roman paganism later incorporated a diverse set of beliefs including ecstatic near-eastern religions, a wide range of goddess cults, dualism from Persia, and astrology. Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks and Romans by Franz Cumont [1912] Pagan Regeneration: A Study of Mystery Initiations in the Graeco-Roman World, by Harold R. Willoughby [1929] Thanks to Eliza at sacredspiral.com! Taboo, Magic, Spirits: A Study of Primitive Elements in Roman Religion, By Eli Edward Burriss [1931] Thanks to Eliza at sacredspiral.com! The Religion of Numa And Other Essays on the Religion of Ancient Rome by Jesse Benedict Carter [1906] An excellent history of the evolution of Roman religious ideas. The Amazons by Guy Cadogan Rothery. [1910] Religious Cults Associated with the Amazons by Florence Mary Bennett. [1912] Ioläus, An Anthology of Friendship by Edward Carpenter [1917] This is an anthology of literary quotes about (primarily) male friendship, from David and Jonathan to Walt Whitman, particularly those verging on romantic love. Whether any of these relationships were actually erotic in nature is left up to the reader's imagination. Pagan and Christian Creeds by Edward Carpenter [1922] Carpenter explores the similaries between Christianity and ancient mystery religions, as well as the similiarities between the narrative of Christ and other solar heros. A Problem in Greek Ethics By John Addington Symonds [1901] A study of Greek homosexuality, centering on the institutionalized (and idealized) love of adolescent males by older men. Intermediate Types Among Primitive Folk by Edward Carpenter [1914] Carpenter reviews the data on homosexuality in the ancient world, relating it to anthopological reports about shamans and berdaches (transgender people) in tribal societies, as well as to male same-sex relationships in feudal Japan. Ancient Art and Ritual by Jane Harrison [1913] The Mycenaean Origin of Greek Mythology by Martin P. Nilsson [1932, not renewed] Greek Popular Religon by Martin P. Nilsson [1940, not renewed] About the photos I took the photographs in this section in 1971 on an Easter Week tour of Greece with a group of High School classics students from Southern California. Escorted by nuns (I was one of the only public school students in the group), our tour visited Athens, Delphi, Mycenae and Knossos. The photos were taken with a cheap Instamatic. I recently found these photos and scanned some of them to accompany this section [View] The photo on this page is the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. Isadora Duncan danced there. I threw the last watch I ever owned into the sea from this promontory. [View] The photo on the works of Homer index page is the entrance to the Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae. A fabulous hoard of gold artifacts was found in it when it was excavated, including a gold death mask which Schliemann decided was that of Agamemnon. The interior is shaped like a beehive and has bizarre acoustics. [View] The photo on the Iliad index page is the arch of the Lion Gate at Mycenae; many of the key figures of the Iliad (if they actually existed) must have walked under this arch. [View] The photo on the Odyssey index page is a view of the Aegean which I took from the cruise ship taking us to Crete. [View] The photo on the Bulfinch index page is a panorama of the Acropolis. [View] The photo on the Aesop index page is yet another view of the Acropolis. [View] Yet another view of the Acropolis. Another photo I haven't found a home for: [View] The Palace of Minos at Knossos, interior detail. These previously unpublished images are © 2002, J.B. Hare, all rights reserved. | | | | | The Classics | | search powered by Sponsored Links | | |