Best Ancient & Classical Literature Books
Here you will get Best Ancient & Classical Literature Books For you.This is an up-to-date list of recommended books.
1. The Odyssey
Author: by Homer
English
592 pages
0393356256
A New York Times Notable Book of 2018 “Wilson’s language is fresh, unpretentious and leanIt is rare to find a translation that is at once so effortlessly easy to read and so rigorously considered.” Madeline Miller, author of CirceComposed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home.
This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative. Its characters are unforgettable, none more so than the complicated hero himself, a man of many disguises, many tricks, and many moods, who emerges in this version as a more fully rounded human being than ever before.
Written in iambic pentameter verse and a vivid, contemporary idiom, Emily Wilson’s Odyssey sings with a voice that echoes Homer’s music; matching the number of lines in the Greek original, the poem sails along at Homer’s swift, smooth pace. A fascinating, informative introduction explores the Bronze Age milieu that produced the epic, the poem’s major themes, the controversies about its origins, and the unparalleled scope of its impact and influence.
2. KJV, Personal Size Reference Bible, Sovereign Collection, Leathersoft, Black, Red Letter, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, King James Version
Author: by Thomas Nelson
Thomas Nelson
English
1696 pages
This beautiful Bible edition honors the legacy of the King James Version Bible in a convenient portable size with essential study tools and traditional red-letter text for the Words of Christ. The Sovereign Collection continues Thomas Nelson’s long history and stewardship publishing Bibles.
King James Sovereign Collection editions draw from the legacy of the trustworthy and timeless KJV with elegant drop cap illustrations leading into each chapter, the exclusive Comfort Print typeface inspired by centuries-old Thomas Nelson editions, and more classic Bible details.
In 1611, the King James Version Bible, also known as the Authorized Version, was published. Nearly 50 of the day’s finest scholars, all from the Church of England, had been organized into six groups for the task. Using the Bishop’s Bible of 1568 as the basis for this revision, the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew and the New Testament from Greek.
The completed work was then peer-reviewed before being sent to bishops and other church leaders for their examination, and ultimately to King James, monarch of England and Scotland, for his approval. Today, more than 400 years since its initial publication, the bestselling King James Version Bible continues to inspire, encourage, and strengthen people from all walks of life.
3. The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User's Manual
Author: by Ward Farnsworth
David R. Godine, Publisher
English
256 pages
Farnsworth beautifully integrates his own observations with scores of quotations from Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Montaigne and others. This isn’t just a book to readit’s a book to return to, a book that will provide perspective and consolation at times of heartbreak or calamity.
The Washington PostSee more clearly, live more wisely, and bear the burdens of this life with greater easehere are the greatest insights of the Stoics, in their own words. Presented in twelve lessons, Ward Farnsworth systematically presents the heart of Stoic philosophy accompanied by commentary that is clear and concise.
A foundational idea to Stoicism is that we appear to go through life reacting directly to events. That appearance is an illusion. We react to our judgments and opinionsto our thoughts about things, not to things themselves. Stoics seek to become conscious of those judgments, to find the irrationality in them, and to choose them more carefully.
In chapters including Emotion, Adversity, Virtue, and What Others Think, here is the most valuable wisdom about living a good life from ages pastnow made available for our time.
4. Troy: The Greek Myths Reimagined
Author: by Stephen Fry
11 hours and 1 minute
Stephen Fry
June 22, 2021
In this brilliant conclusion to his best-selling Mythos trilogy, legendary author and actor Stephen Fry retells the tale of the Trojan War. Full of tragic heroes, intoxicating love stories, and the unstoppable force of fate, there is no conflict more iconic than the Trojan War.
Troy is the story of the epic battle retold by Fry with drama, humor, and vivid emotion. Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, Helen, their lovers, and their mortal enemies all burn bright in Fry’s compelling prose. This volume invites you to explore a captivating world with a brilliant storyteller as your guide.
Beloved author: Stephen Fry is an icon whose signature wit and mellifluous style makes this retelling utterly unique. Fans will love hearing his interpretation, whether they are familiar with the original Greek myths or not. Timeless Stories: For fans of Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology, Madeline Miller’s Circe or Song of Achilles, or Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls, this is the perfect next great book.
5. The Imitation of Christ (Dover Thrift Editions)
Author: by Thomas à Kempis
0486431851
Dover Publications
English
This classic of Christian devotional literature has brought understanding and comfort to millions for centuries. Both Protestants and Catholics as well as mystics and historians of religious thought have studied these meditations on the life and teachings of Jesus, finding in them a path to prayer and spiritual guidance.
Written in a candid and conversational style, The Imitation of Christ discusses liberation from worldly inclinations, recollection as a preparation for prayer, the consolations of prayer, and the place of eucharistic communion in a devout life. With its simple, readable text, this translation will appeal to new readers as well as to those already familiar with this religious classic.
6. The Sagas of the Icelanders (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
Author: by Robert Kellogg
Penguin UK
English
848 pages
A unique body of medieval literature, the Sagas rank with the world’s greatest literary treasures-as epic as Homer, as deep in tragedy as Sophocles, as engagingly human as Shakespeare. Set around the turn of the last millennium, these stories depict with an astonishingly modern realism the lives and deeds of the Norse men and women who first settled Iceland and of their descendants, who ventured further west-to Greenland and, ultimately, the coast of North America itself.
The ten Sagas and seven shorter tales in this volume include the celebrated “Vinland Sagas,” which recount Leif Eiriksson’s pioneering voyage to the New World and contain the oldest descriptions of the North American continent. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world.
With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
7. The Oresteia: Agamemnon; The Libation Bearers; The Eumenides
Author: by Aeschylus
Penguin Classics
English
336 pages
In the Oresteia Aeschylus addressed the bloody chain of murder and revenge within the royal family of Argos. As they move from darkness to light, from rage to self-governance, from primitive ritual to civilized institution, their spirit of struggle and regeneration becomes an everlasting song of celebration.
In Agamemnon, a king’s decision to sacrifice his daughter and turn the tide of war inflicts lasting damage on his family, culminating in a terrible act of retribution; The Libation Bearers deals with the aftermath of Clytemnestra’s regicide, as her son Orestes sets out to avenge his father’s death; and in The Eumenides, Orestes is tormented by supernatural powers that can never be appeased.
Forming an elegant and subtle discourse on the emergence of Athenian democracy out of a period of chaos and destruction, The Oresteia is a compelling tragedy of the tensions between our obligations to our families and the laws that bind us together as a society.
The only trilogy in Greek drama that survives from antiquity, Aeschylus’ The Oresteia is translated by Robert Fagles with an introduction, notes and glossary written in collaboration with W.B. Stanford in Penguin Classics. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world.
8. Sophocles, The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone
Author: by Sophocles
Mariner Books
English
272 pages
English versions of Sophocles’ three great tragedies based on the myth of Oedipus, translated for a modern audience by two gifted poets.Index.
9. The Iliad and the Odyssey Boxed Set
Author: by Homer
English
1145 pages
0520306651
A stunning set of Homer’s epics, brilliantly translated by a leading ancient world scholar. Hailed by reviewers and readers alike, Peter Green’s landmark translations of Homer’s timeless epics are now available for the first time in this striking and sleekly designed collector-worthy set.
With the verve and pathos of the original oral tradition, Green captures the beauty and complexity, the surging thunder and quiet lyricism, of the Iliad and the Odyssey for a new generation of readers. The translations are vivid and careful, accurate without being out of reach, while the detailed synopses and notes include perceptive observations about Homer’s characters and themes.
This widely acclaimed, must-have collection will be a treasured addition to every reader’s bookshelf.
10. The Iliad & the Odyssey
Author: by Homer
B08GRNDWT8
English
251 pages
The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy (Ilium) by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles.
Although the story covers only a few weeks in the final year of the war, the Iliad mentions or alludes to many of the Greek legends about the siege; the earlier events, such as the gathering of warriors for the siege, the cause of the war, and related concerns tend to appear near the beginning.
Then the epic narrative takes up events prophesied for the future, such as Achilles’ imminent death and the fall of Troy, although the narrative ends before these events take place. When it reaches an end the poem has told a more or less complete tale of the Trojan War.
The Iliad is paired with something of a sequel, the Odyssey, which is also attributed to Homer. Along with the Odyssey, the Iliad is among the oldest extant works of Western literature, and its written version is usually dated to around the 8th century BC.
11. Meditations
Author: by Marcus Aurelius
5 hours and 9 minutes
Duncan Steen
Ready
One of the most significant books ever written by a head of state, the Meditations are a collection of philosophical thoughts by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 – 180 ce). Covering issues such as duty, forgiveness, brotherhood, strength in adversity and the best way to approach life and death, the Meditations have inspired thinkers, poets and politicians since their first publication more than 500 years ago.
Today, the book stands as one of the great guides and companions – a cornerstone of Western thought. Translation by George Long revised by Duncan Steen.
12. The Poetic Edda
Author: by Lee M. Hollander
0292764995
University of Texas Press
English
The Poetic Edda comprises a treasure trove of mythic and spiritual verse holding an important place in Nordic culture, literature, and heritage. Its tales of strife and death form a repository, in poetic form, of Norse mythology and heroic lore, embodying both the ethical views and the cultural life of the North during the late heathen and early Christian times.
Collected by an unidentified Icelander, probably during the twelfth or thirteenth century, The Poetic Edda was rediscovered in Iceland in the seventeenth century by Danish scholars. Even then its value as poetry, as a source of historical information, and as a collection of entertaining stories was recognized.
This meticulous translation succeeds in reproducing the verse patterns, the rhythm, the mood, and the dignity of the original in a revision that Scandinavian Studies says “may well grace anyone’s bookshelf.”
13. Meditations (Dover Thrift Editions)
Author: by Marcus Aurelius
Dover Publications
English
112 pages
One of the world’s most famous and influential books, Meditations, by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 121180), incorporates the stoic precepts he used to cope with his life as a warrior and administrator of an empire. Ascending to the imperial throne in A.D.
161, Aurelius found his reign beset by natural disasters and war. In the wake of these challenges, he set down a series of private reflections, outlining a philosophy of commitment to virtue above pleasure and tranquility above happiness. Reflecting the emperor’s own noble and self-sacrificing code of conduct, this eloquent and moving work draws and enriches the tradition of Stoicism, which stressed the search for inner peace and ethical certainty in an apparently chaotic world.
Serenity was to be achieved by emulating in one’s personal conduct the underlying orderliness and lawfulness of nature. And in the face of inevitable pain, loss, and death the suffering at the core of life Aurelius counsels stoic detachment from the things that are beyond one’s control and a focus on one’s own will and perception.
14
The Poetic Edda (Oxford World's Classics)
Author: by Carolyne Larrington
Oxford University Press
English
384 pages
‘She sees, coming up a second time,Earth from the ocean, eternally green;the waterfalls plunge, an eagle soars above them,over the mountain hunting fish.’After the terrible conflagration of Ragnarok, the earth rises serenely again from the ocean, and life is renewed.
The Poetic Edda begins with The Seeress’s Prophecy which recounts the creation of the world, and looks forward to its destruction and rebirth. In this great collection ofNorse-Icelandic mythological and heroic poetry, the exploits of gods and humans are related.
The one-eyed Odin, red-bearded Thor, Loki the trickster, the lovely goddesses and the giants who are their enemies walk beside the heroic Helgi, Sigurd the Dragon-Slayer, Brynhild the shield-maiden, and theimplacable Gudrun. New in this revised translation are the quest-poem The Lay of Svipdag and The Waking of Angantyr, in which a girl faces down her dead father to retrieve his sword.
Comic, tragic, instructive, grandiose, witty and profound, the poems of the Edda have influenced artists from Wagner to Tolkien and a new generation of video-game and film makers. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World’s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe.
15. Too Soon the Night: A Novel of Empress Theodora (The Theodora Duology Book 2)
Author: by James Conroyd Martin
B0943N24GF
July 4, 2021
English
Palace eunuch and secretary Stephen records Empress Theodora’s life as she navigates wars, political and religious crises, a citywide rebellion, and the first world plague pandemic, all in a male-dominated world. “A gorgeous tapestry of impeccable research and intricate worldbuilding.” ~Kate Quinn, Author of The Empress of Rome Saga and The Alice Network
16. KJV, Personal Size Reference Bible, Sovereign Collection, Genuine Leather, Black, Red Letter, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, King James Version
Author: by Thomas Nelson
Thomas Nelson
English
1696 pages
This beautiful Bible edition honors the legacy of the King James Version Bible in a convenient portable size with essential study tools and traditional red-letter text for the Words of Christ. The Sovereign Collection continues Thomas Nelson’s long history and stewardship publishing Bibles.
King James Sovereign Collection editions draw from the legacy of the trustworthy and timeless KJV with elegant drop cap illustrations leading into each chapter, the exclusive Comfort Print typeface inspired by centuries-old Thomas Nelson editions, and more classic Bible details.
In 1611, the King James Version Bible, also known as the Authorized Version, was published. Nearly 50 of the day’s finest scholars, all from the Church of England, had been organized into six groups for the task. Using the Bishop’s Bible of 1568 as the basis for this revision, the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew and the New Testament from Greek.
The completed work was then peer-reviewed before being sent to bishops and other church leaders for their examination, and ultimately to King James, monarch of England and Scotland, for his approval. Today, more than 400 years since its initial publication, the bestselling King James Version Bible continues to inspire, encourage, and strengthen people from all walks of life.
