Drawing on a broad selection of contemporary sources, the author examines the institutions, actions and rituals of day to day life.

    Behind the vast panorama of the pagan Roman empire, the reader discovers the intimate daily lives of citizens and slaves--from concepts of manhood and sexuality to marriage and the family, the roles of women, chastity and contraception, techniques of childbirth, homosexuality, religion, the meaning of virtue, and the separation of private and public spaces.The emergence of Christianity in the West and the triumph of Christian morality with its emphasis on abstinence, celibacy, and austerity is startlingly contrasted with the profane and undisciplined private life of the Byzantine Empire. Using illuminating motifs, the authors weave a rich, colorful fabric ornamented with the results of new research and the broad interpretations that only masters of the subject can provide.

    The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    In medieval and Renaissance Europe, it was believed that speaking a demon’s true name could summon it, compel it, and bind it. Occult scholar Michelle Belanger has compiled the most complete compendium of demonic names available anywhere, using both notorious and obscure sources from the Western grimoiric tradition. Presented alphabetically from Aariel to Zynextyur, more than 1,500 demons are introduced, explored, and cross-referenced by theme and elemental or planetary correspondence. This meticulously researched reference work features fascinating short articles on demonology and a wealth of woodcuts, etchings, and paintings depicting demons through the ages.

    Attracting hundreds of thousands of readers and stimulating vast debate, it influenced generations of people including countless scientists who went on to do serious work in their fields, and numerous science-fiction writers. It is a measure of the power of the Atlantis myth that, despite all the evidence to the contrary, the idea of a submerged Atlantic Ocean continent remains vigorous today, long after Donnelly's work first appeared.A lawyer and politician before he turned to writing, Ignatius Donnelly (1831‒1901) spent many years amassing evidence for his book on Atlantis. Displaying an immense knowledge of Platonic and Biblical material, comparative archeological discoveries, folk traditions of deluges, and geological data supporting catastrophic volcanic activity, Donnelly staggered his readers with "facts" and overwhelmed them with his many brilliant arguments. Despite the many more recent discoveries that have proved many of his "facts" to be false, his arguments still dazzle and his central myth continues to fascinate. The highly appealing idea of a lost continent with a high civilization, one that was the mother of all other civilizations, is one of the most enduring of all human myths and shows no signs of disappearing.A seminal work on Atlantis and a classic in the history of culture, this book is the starting point for anyone sincerely interested in the Atlantis myth. Still the most readable and imaginative of the books on Atlantis, it is a work that will long outlive most of the more recent accounts. As a study of the golden past, it is an enormously intriguing and enjoyable book.

    Apollodorus' Library has been used as a source book by classicists from the time of its compilation in the 1st-2nd century AD to the present, influencing writers from antiquity to Robert Graves. It provides a complete history of Greek myth, telling the story of each of the great families of heroic mythology, and the various adventures associated with the main heroes and heroines, from Jason and Perseus to Heracles and Helen of Troy. As a primary source for Greek myth, as a reference work, and as an indication of how the Greeks themselves viewed their mythical traditions, the Library is indispensable to anyone who has an interest in classical mythology. Robin Hard's accessible and fluent translation is supplemented by comprehensive notes, a map and full genealogical tables. The introduction gives a detailed account of the Library's sources and situates it within the fascinating narrative traditions of Greek mythology.

    these ancient northern deities gave their names to the very days of our week. Nevertheless, most of us know far more of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and the classical deities. Recent researches in archaeology and mythology have added to what was already a fairly consistent picture (largely derived from a twelfth-century Icelandic account) of the principal Scandinavian gods and goddesses. This new study - the first popular treatment of the subject to appear in English for many years - is the work of a scholar who has long specialized in Norse and Germanic mythology. She describes the more familiar gods of war, of fertility, of the sky and the sea and the dead, and also discusses those puzzling figures of Norse mythology - Heimdall, Balder, and Loki. All these deities were worshipped in the Viking Age, and the author has endeavoured to relate their cults to daily life and to see why these pagan beliefs gave way in time to the Christian faith.

    Tyler Smith's fascinating and sometimes truly astonishing tales of streetwalkers, call girls, madams, pimps and rent boys are fundamentally true (a few, as he recognizes, fall into the category of cultural myths), and are not only interesting but also funny--often hilarious.Have you ever wondered how Heidi Fleiss came to be the face of upscale prostitution or if Casanova really was the world's greatest lover? How about why Latin playboy Rubi Rubirosa got the nickname "The Ding Dong Daddy"?While you may think that you know everything about this occupation, Whore Stories includes plenty of details and even celebrities, such as Maya Angelou and Bob Dylan, that will leave you in awe.From private sex schools and Snoop Dogg, to child preachers, mime fantasies and unfortunate amputations, Whore Stories offers a fascinating, hilarious and often times shocking look at the world's oldest profession.

    In this work, MacCulloch attempts to rebuild Celtic paganism and to guess at its inner spirit. He portrays the Celt as a seeker after God, linking himself by strong ties to the unseen and eager to conquer the unknown by religious rite and magic art. The earliest aspect of his religion was the cult of nature spirits and of life manifested in nature.

    Only now are we coming to a fuller appreciation of the nature and role of myth in human history. In these five lectures originally prepared for Canadian radio, Claude Lévi-Strauss offers, in brief summations, the insights of a lifetime spent interpreting myths and trying to discover their significance for human understanding. The lectures begin with a discussion of the historical split between mythology and science and the evidence that mythic levels of understanding are being reintegrated in our approach to knowledge. In an extension of this theme, Professor Lévi-Strauss analyzes what we have called “primitive thinking” and discusses some universal features of human mythology. The final two lectures outline the functional relationship between mythology and history and the structural relationship between mythology and music.

    He investigates what he considered to be the simplest form of documented religion - totemism among the Aborigines of Australia. For Durkheim, studying Aboriginal religion was a way 'to yield an understanding of the religious nature of man, by showing us an essential and permanent aspect of humanity'. The need and capacity of men and women to relate to one another socially lies at the heart of Durkheim's exploration, in which religion embodies the beliefs that shape our moral universe. The Elementary Forms has been applauded and debated by sociologists, anthropologists, ethnographers, philosophers, and theologians, and continues to speak to new generations about the intriguing origin and nature of religion and society. This new, lightly abridged edition provides an excellent introduction to Durkheim's ideas.

     • Provides dramatic evidence from both archaeological and documentary sources. • A radical challenge to long-established beliefs on the origin of Semitic religion. During his reign, the Pharaoh Akhenaten was able to abolish the complex pantheon of the ancient Egyptian religion and replace it with a single god, the Aten, who had no image or form. Seizing on the striking similarities between the religious vision of this “heretic” pharaoh and the teachings of Moses, Sigmund Freud was the first to argue that Moses was in fact an Egyptian. Now Ahmed Osman, using recent archaeological discoveries and historical documents, contends that Akhenaten and Moses were one and the same man. In a stunning retelling of the Exodus story, Osman details the events of Moses/Akhenaten's life: how he was brought up by Israelite relatives, ruled Egypt for seventeen years, angered many of his subjects by replacing the traditional Egyptian pantheon with worship of the Aten, and was forced to abdicate the throne. Retreating to the Sinai with his Egyptian and Israelite supporters, he died out of the sight of his followers, presumably at the hands of Seti I, after an unsuccessful attempt to regain his throne. Osman reveals the Egyptian components in the monotheism preached by Moses as well as his use of Egyptian royal ritual and Egyptian religious expression. He shows that even the Ten Commandments betray the direct influence of Spell 125 in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Moses and Akhenaten provides a radical challenge to long-standing beliefs concerning the origin of Semitic religion and the puzzle of Akhenaten's deviation from ancient Egyptian tradition. In fact, if Osman's contentions are correct, many major Old Testament figures would be of Egyptian origin.

    Using an innovative method of writing from a character’s point of view within a tale, James’ intellectual works explore issues related to consciousness and perception, producing his own inimitable ‘impressionist’ style. Delphi Classics is proud to present the complete works of this important master for the first time in publishing history, providing every novel, tale, non-fiction work and a wealth of bonus material.Product Description:* concise introductions to the novels and other texts* all 23 novels – even the rare work THE OTHER HOUSE, often missed out of collections* the unfinished novels THE IVORY TOWER and THE SENSE OF THE PAST* the first rare novel WATCH AND WARD, which James chose to later ignore* the novel THE WHOLE FAMILY, which James collaborated on with 11 other authors* All 112 of the novellas and short stories with BOTH chronological and alphabetical contents tables* includes James’ rare plays* EVEN includes the very RARE play GUY DOMVILLE – available nowhere else as a digital book. This is the famous play that James was booed at – now you can read it yourself and judge whether he was harshly criticised!* the complete Travel Writing* special contents tables for each novel and literary collection – you won’t get lost in this eBook!* rare Non-Fiction collections and essays* features James’ three autobiographies, available nowhere else – explore the Great Master’s literary life!* special BONUS texts of criticism – discover how writers such as Conrad, Woolf and Stevenson viewed James’ works* many images relating to James and his work* UPDATED with improved texts, additional images and many corrections* UPDATED with rare James’ biography on his sculptor friend: WILLIAM WETMORE STORY AND HIS FRIENDS* scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genresThe NovelsWATCH AND WARDRODERICK HUDSONTHE AMERICANTHE EUROPEANSCONFIDENCEWASHINGTON SQUARETHE PORTRAIT OF A LADYTHE BOSTONIANSTHE PRINCESS CASAMASSIMATHE REVERBERATORTHE TRAGIC MUSETHE OTHER HOUSETHE SPOILS OF POYNTONWHAT MAISIE KNEWTHE AWKWARD AGETHE SACRED FOUNTTHE WINGS OF THE DOVETHE AMBASSADORSTHE GOLDEN BOWLTHE OUTCRYTHE WHOLE FAMILYThe Unfinished NovelsTHE IVORY TOWERTHE SENSE OF THE PASTThe TalesLIST OF TALES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDERLIST OF TALES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDERThe PlaysPYRAMUS AND THISBESTILL WATERSA CHANGE OF HEARTDAISY MILLERTENANTSDISENGAGEDTHE ALBUMTHE REPROBATEGUY DOMVILLESUMMERSOFTTHE HIGH BIDTHE OUTCRYThe Travel WritingTRANSATLANTIC SKETCHESA LITTLE TOUR IN FRANCEENGLISH HOURSTHE AMERICAN SCENEITALIAN HOURSThe Non-FictionFRENCH NOVELISTS AND POETSHAWTHORNEPORTRAITS OF PLACESPARTIAL PORTRAITSESSAYS IN LONDON AND ELSEWHEREPICTURE AND TEXTWILLIAM WETMORE STORY AND HIS FRIENDSVIEWS AND REVIEWSNOTES ON NOVELISTSWITHIN THE RIM AND OTHER ESSAYSNOTES AND REVIEWSTHE ART OF THE NOVEL&lt

    But what came before the Greeks? What if we could prove that all myths have one common origin in a celestial cosmology? What if the gods, the places they lived & what they did are but ciphers for celestial activity, a language for the perpetuation of complex astronomical data? Drawing on scientific data, historical & literary sources, the authors argue that our myths are the remains of a preliterate astronomy, an exacting science whose power & accuracy were suppressed & then forgotten by an emergent Greco-Roman world view. This fascinating book throws into doubt the self-congratulatory assumptions of Western science about the unfolding development & transmission of knowledge. This is a truly seminal & original thesis, a book that should be read by anyone interested in science, myth & the interactions between the two.