Ancient Classics

The story of the adventures of the mythical hero Gilgamesh is the most considerable literary production that has come down to us from ancient Babylonia. Unfortunately, it was not preserved in complete form. This recording is of the fullest translation which had yet been issued in English when it was first published in 1917.

Sappho is widely recognized as one of the great poets of world literature, an author whose works have caused her readers to repeat in many different forms Strabo's amazed epithet when he wrote that she could only be called "a marvel." The reception of Sappho's poetry even through the twentieth century offers a case study of the conflicts induced by the sexual preferences she seemingly alludes to in her verse. Little is known with certainty about the life of Sappho, or Psappha in her native Aeolic dialect. She was born probably about 620 B.C. to an aristocratic family on the island of Lesbos during a great cultural flowering in the area.

A solo recording of Hamlet in an American dialect.

On the Shortness of Life was written by Seneca around the year 49AD. He argues that we waste so much time because we do not properly value it. We expend great effort in protecting other valuables such as money and property, but because time appears intangible, we allow others to occupy it and take time away from us. Wise people, on the other hand, understand that time is the most valuable of all resources, and with effort can free themselves from external control to engage in meaningful introspection and create an intentional life.

In The Life of Cicero, Plutarch details the priceless contributions Cicero made to Roman society. He translated the works of Greek philosophers into Latin, gained acclaim as an orator and lawyer, and was elected to office. Politics ultimately got the better of him, however, and his life ended in assassination while in exile. Cicero’s ideas live on through his body of work, but to learn about the man himself, Plutarch’s biography is an excellent starting point.

This amazing collection of poetry from the famous Greek Anthology spans over 1,500 years of ancient Greek and Byzantine history. The selections in this recording were chosen and translated by famed classicist J. W. Mackail.

Questo volume nasce da un progetto di rilettura del poema omerico destinato alla scena teatrale. Baricco smonta e rimonta l'"Iliade" creando ventun monologhi, corrispondenti ad altrettanti personaggi del poema e al personaggio di un aedo che racconta, in chiusura, l'assedio e la caduta di Troia. L'autore "rinuncia" agli dei e punta sulle figure che si muovono sulla terra, sui campi di battaglia, nei palazzi achei, dietro le mura della città assediata.

Classical Greece is a period of only 200 years, but it is filled with exciting events that shaped the political thought of modern Western civilization. In these 200 years, the idea of democracy was born and developed, although their concept of democracy was much different than in modern times. Through the development of the polis, the ancient Greek society developed into its recognizable form of those with political rights and those without them.

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.

"To call this only a 'reading' of the classic Sherlock Holmes story would be to devalue the beauty of the performance. Although you may have heard recordings of the Sherlock Holmes work before with distance and haughty affectation, none of that is present in Mr. Davies storytelling performance. This features one man, many voices and a hefty portion of talent. This performance is fresh, approachable and inviting." ( Storyteller.net Review)

King Arthur is probably the most famous and certainly the most legendary medieval king. From the early ninth century through the middle ages, to the Arthurian romances of Victorian times, the tales of this legendary figure have blossomed and multiplied. And in more recent times, there has been a continuous stream of books claiming to have discovered the "facts" about, or to unlock the secret or truth behind, the "once and future king". Broadly speaking, there are two Arthurs.

It's never been easy to be a hero. When Beowulf arrives at Hrothgar's hall, he discovers that the hall is beset by Grendel, an evil creature that kills and pillages with impunity. Beowulf, in heroic fashion, bests Grendel in combat, then follows Grendel back to his lair to finish the job.

Harpagón es un hombre rico pero avaro; tiene dos hijos: Elisa y Cleanto, quienes sufren privaciones económicas y afectivas debido a la tacañería de su padre. El viejo avaro desea casarse con la joven Mariana, pero descubre que su hijo Cleanto está enamorado de ella. Elisa ama a Valerio; sin embargo, su padre quiere casarla con un hombre mayor y rico.

Pietra miliare della letteratura del Novecento, il romanzo mette in scena un perfetto quadrilatero amoroso entro cui le storie dei protagonisti s'intrecciano con le grandi domande della vita, come quelle sul valore delle scelte individuali, sul rapporto tra pesantezza e leggerezza, libertà e costrizione. Alla fine degli anni Sessanta, tra la Primavera praghese e l'invasione sovietica, la giovane Tereza e il marito Tomáš, la pittrice Sabina e il suo amante Franz, oscillando tra fedeltà e tradimenti, esplorano passioni e vertigini di un mondo che è diventato una trappola.

Long years after the White Mare came to the people of the Mothers, bringing the wild horsemen from the sea of grass and changing the world forever, the world is changing again. The Mother of Lir is dead, her heir cast out amid dire omens. War is coming - such a war as the people have never seen, fought with a new and terrible weapon: the chariot. Rhian, potter's child and White Mare's chosen, ventures with Emry the prince of Lir into the sea of grass and undertakes to steal the enemy's weapon.

Plato recorded the final days of his mentor, Socrates, who was tried and condemned in Athens in 399 B.C. on trumped-up charges of being a heretic and corrupter of the young. This collection comprises 4 books: Euthyphro, in which Socrates engages Euthyphro in a debate on the steps of the courthouse where he is to stand trial, The Apology, in which Socrates argues on his own behalf, Crito, in which Socrates's friends and supporters visit him in prison and urge him to recant.

The Allegory of the Cave appears in Plato’s Republic and compares the effect of education and the lack of it on human nature. It is written as a dialogue between Plato's brother and Socrates, who tells of people that have been chained to the wall of a cave their whole lives. They see shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them. Socrates explains that the philosopher is like a prisoner who has escaped the cave and realizes that the shadows on the wall are not the true reality at all.

A solo recording of A Midsummer Night's Dream in an American dialect.

For over a century, the beautiful words of the Lebanese American poet, Kahlil Gibran, have graced everything from greeting cards and wedding invitations to inspirational wall hangings and corporate motivational literature. By one account, Gibran is the third best selling poet of all time.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest surviving literary work in the world. The epic poetry describes the ancient King Gilgamesh and his journey to discover the secret to eternal life.