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The Eumenides (The Furies)greek · 458 BCE (first performance)

## Dramatis Personae THE PYTHIAN PRIESTESS APOLLO ORESTES THE GHOST OF CLYTEMNESTRA CHORUS OF FURIES ATHENA ATTENDANTS OF ATHENA TWELVE ATHENIAN CITIZENS _The Scene of the Drama is the Temple of Apollo, at Delphi: afterwards the Temple of Athena, on the Acropolis of Athens, and the adjoining Areo…

The Libation-Bearers (Choephoroi)greek · 458 BCE (first performance)

## Dramatis Personae ORESTES CHORUS OF CAPTIVE WOMEN ELECTRA A NURSE CLYTEMNESTRA AEGISTHUS AN ATTENDANT PYLADES _The Scene is the Tomb of Agamemnon at Mycenae; afterwards, the Palace of Atreus, hard by the Tomb._ ## Prologue — Orestes at the Tomb _Orestes_ L ord of the shades and patron of th…

Agamemnongreek · 458 BCE (first performance)

## Dramatis Personae A WATCHMAN A HERALD CHORUS AGAMEMNON AEGISTHUS CLYTEMNESTRA CASSANDRA _The Scene is the Palace of Atreus at Mycenae. In front of the Palace stand statues of the gods, and altars prepared for sacrifices._ ## Prologue — The Watchman _A Watchman_ I pray the gods to quit me…

Josephus — Antiquities of the Jewsgreek · c. 93-94 CE (original composition)

## Preface 1. Those who undertake to write histories, do not, I perceive, take that trouble on one and the same account, but for many reasons, and those such as are very different one from another. For some of them apply themselves to this part of learning to show their skill in composition, and t…

Josephus — The Wars of the Jewsgreek · c. 75-79 CE (original composition)

## Preface 1. 1 Whereas the war which the Jews made with the Romans hath been the greatest of all those, not only that have been in our times, but, in a manner, of those that ever were heard of; both of those wherein cities have fought against cities, or nations against nations; while some men who…

The Divine Comedy — Paradisoother · c. 1308-1321 (composition); set during Easter Week, 1300

## Canto I. The Ascent to the First Heaven The glory of Him who moveth everything Doth penetrate the universe, and shine In one part more and in another less. Within that heaven which most his light receives Was I, and things beheld which to repeat Nor knows, nor can, who from ab…

The Divine Comedy — Purgatorioother · c. 1308-1321 (composition); set during Easter Week, 1300

## Canto I. The Shores of Purgatory To run o’er better waters hoists its sail The little vessel of my genius now, That leaves behind itself a sea so cruel; And of that second kingdom will I sing Wherein the human spirit doth purge itself, And to ascend to heaven becometh worthy.…

The Divine Comedy — Infernoother · c. 1308-1321 (composition); set during Easter Week, 1300

## Canto I. The Dark Forest Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward pathway had been lost. Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say What was this forest savage, rough, and stern, Which in the very thought renews the fear. So b…

The Art of Warother · c. 500 BCE (traditional authorship by Sun Tzŭ)

## I. Laying Plans [Ts’ao Kung, in defining the meaning of the Chinese for the title of this chapter, says it refers to the deliberations in the temple selected by the general for his temporary use, or as we should say, in his tent. See. § 26.] 1. Sun Tzŭ said: The art of war is of vital importa…

Piers Plowman — The Vision of William Langlandother · c. 1370–1390 CE (three versions: A, B, C)

THE VISION OF PIERS THE PLOWMAN ## Prologue: The Field Full of Folk IN a summer season, when soft was the sun, I enshrouded me well in a shepherd's garb, And robed as a hermit, unholy of works. Went wide through the world, all wonders to hear. And on a May morning, on Malvern hills, Strange fanc…

Sir Gawain and the Green Knightother · c. 1370–1390 CE

## Preface The poem of which the following pages offer a prose rendering is contained in a MS., believed to be unique, of the Cottonian Collection, Nero A. X., preserved in the British Museum. The MS. is of the end of the fourteenth century, but it is possible that the composition of the poem is…

Dream of the Roodother · c. 700–1000 CE (Ruthwell Cross carvings 8th century; Vercelli Book manuscript 10th century)

Lo! choicest of dreams I will relate, What dream I dreamt in middle of night When mortal men reposed in rest. Methought I saw a wondrous wood Tower aloft with light bewound, 5 Brightest of trees; that beacon was all Begirt with gold; jewels were standing Four[…

Jataka Tales — Birth Stories of the Buddhaother · c. 300 BCE – 500 CE (compilation)

## Story 2 — VAṆṆUPATHA JĀTAKA. (The Sandy Road.) No. 2. VAṆṆUPATHA JĀTAKA. The Sandy Road. _“The Determined Ones,” etc._--This discourse was uttered by the Blessed One while at Sāvatthi. About what? About a mendicant who had no perseverance. For whilst the Successor of the Prophets, we are t…

Milindapanha — Questions of King Milindaother · c. 150 BCE – 200 CE

Reverence be to the Blessed One, the Arahat, the SammA-sambuddha. ## Book I — The Secular Narrative i. King Milinda, at S&gala the famous town of yore, To Nagasena, the world famous sage, repaired. (So the deep Ganges to the deeper ocean flows.) To him, the eloquent, the bearer of the torch Of Tr…

Japji Sahib — The Morning Prayer of Guru Nanakother · c. 1499–1539 CE (Guru Nanak); compiled in Adi Granth 1604 CE

## Mul Mantar (Preamble) THERE is but one God whose name is true, the Creator, devoid of fear and enmity, immortal, unborn, self-existent ; by the favour of the Guru. REPEAT His NAME The True One was in the beginning ; the True One was in the primal age. The True One is now also, O Nanak ; the…

Al-Ghazali — The Alchemy of Happinessother · c. 1105–1111 CE

## Introduction Know, 0 beloved, that man was not created in jest or at random, but marvellously made and for some great end. Although he is not from everlasting, yet he lives for ever ; and though his body is mean and earthly, yet his spirit is lofty and divine. When in the crucible of abstinenc…

Kabir — Songsother · c. 1440–1518 CE

## Introduction The poet Kabîr, a selection from whose songs is here for the first time offered to English readers, is one of the most interesting personalities in the history of Indian mysticism. Born in or near Benares, of Mohammedan parents, and probably about the year 1440, he became in early…

Vivekachudamani — Crest-Jewel of Discriminationother · c. 700–900 CE (traditional attribution to Shankaracharya)

## Introduction — Qualifications for Liberation 1. I bow to Govinda, whose nature is Bliss Supreme, who is the Sadguru, who can be known only from the import of all Vedanta, and who is beyond the reach of speech and mind. 2. For all beings a human birth is difficult to obtain, more so is a male…

## Canto LXXXI — Commencement of the Devi-Mahatmya LXXXI. Commencement of the Devt-Mahdtmya. The slaughter of Madhu and Kaitabha an the account of the Sdvarnika Manv-antara. King Su-ratha being defeated and driven from his kingdom took refuge in the forest with a munt—He met a vaisya who had…

Instructions of Merikareegyptian · c. 2100–2000 BCE

*This translation is not currently available.* The Instructions of Merikare is a First Intermediate Period Egyptian wisdom text framed as the deathbed counsel of a Herakleopolitan king to his heir. The first complete English translation was John A. Wilson's version in Pritchard's *Ancient Near Eas…