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Wells, ch. 30-34 |
| The Outline of History Web based version of The Outline of History |
Gibbon, ch. 37-38, 47-53, 55-59, 64-65, 68-70
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| History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1 History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 2 History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 3 History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 4 History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 5 History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 6 |
Omar Khayyam, Rubaiyat (Fitzgerald paraphrase) (year 1889)
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 "Rubaiyat" translates into english from arabic as "quatrain", meaning 4 lined poem. Fitzgerald translated the work to fit the rhyming pattern of AABA. One of the more famous of the quatrains goes:
Online Book (includes both 1st edition and 5th edition) |
George Moore, Heloise and Abelard (2 vol.) (year 1128) |
 "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind!" is what Alexander Pope wrote about these letters. Heloise, a pregnant, smart, and gifted woman sent away to a convent because she had a baby out of wedlock. Her lover, Abelard whom was a scholar and philosopher, was castrated and exiled for his act. It was at this time that the two began writing love letters to each other, and are considered one of the most endearing and beautifuly written love letters of all time. The Love Letters of Abelard and Heloise |
Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy (trans. Longfellow or Charles E. Norton) (year 1308-1321) |
 Divine Comedy is considered the greatest literary work composed in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature. In Italian Dante is known as "the Supreme Poet".It's quite amazing to know that most of what the average person knows about hell and purgatory comes from this book. Any Jehova's Witness will tell you there's no fires of hell described in the bible and there's no reference to purgatory either. Let Dante himself take you through hell, purgatory and paradise in his three part book. Divine Comedy, Longfellow's Translation, Complete Also see: Princeton Dante Project Website that offers the complete text of The Divine Comedy in Italian and English along with audio accompaniment in both languages. Includes in depth analysis of literary themes and symbols. |
Hippolyte Taine, History of English Literature, book 1
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| Google book with PDF download |
Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales (Everyman Library), selections (year 1300's) |
 Jabberwocky!? Just reading the words are a riddle in themselves. It's kind of in between Shakespeare and Icelandic when it comes to understanding what Chaucer is saying!It's actually written in Middle English. Here take 5 minutes to follow along as someone reads an excerpt from Millers Tale. The fun parts of these tales are those that deal with astrology, occult, witchcraft, etc. There's something chilling to hearing about such things in the words of Middle English. Canterbury Tales as originally written in Middle English Modern English translation of the Canterbury Tales Wikipedia has sections for each of the Canterbury Tales also. |
Henry Adams, Mont St. Michel and Chartres (1904) |
 Henry Adams referred to this book as "A Study of Thirteenth-Century Unity," and its expansive scope, together with the author's deep understanding of the period, makes it a classic in art history as well as in American literature. He wrote, "I wanted to show the intensity of the vital energy of a given time, and of course that intensity had to be stated in its two highest terms--religion and art."The original book has 13 photographs and numerous illustrations. The best I can find is a text only version of the book. Mont St. Michel and Chartres |
Williams, History of Science vol. 2 ch. 1-3
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| Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 Volume 4 |
Faure, History of Art vol. 2 ch. 4-9
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| Faure covers in these chapters the pre-rennaissance era of Christian art. This is mainly seen in archtecture. Cathedrals, facades, relief statues on churches. Website focusing on Biblical Artwork |
Cecil Gray, The History of Music |
| I cannot locate a online version of this book and have not read it. Durant does suggest certain composers to listen to. Of course they are all classical since this list was written in the 20's. This book is meant to cover the next few groups also but I will only reference it here. Composers Durant mentions: (note: on each of these wikipedia pages are audio samples of the composers music) 1700's Bach Handel's oratorios Haydn's sonatas and the symphonies Mozart: Andante from Quartet in D major = absolute music 1800's Beethoven 5th symphony Schubert who had 100 unsung masterpieces in his attic Schumann the mystic meloncholy Brahms looks like a butcher, composes like an angel Chopin Lizst who drank fame to the last drop. Also, who was George Sand sleeping with at the time? Wagner Mendelssohn Rossinni rather make spaghetti than write Barber of Seville Verdi Tchaikovsky - did he commit suicide because he was gay? Wikipedia: History of Music |
The Age of Christianity