Monarchy first changes into its vicious allied form, tyranny; and next, the abolishment of both gives birth to aristocracy. Aristocracy...

Presently Patricius and Hilarius were brought before the court, and were ordered to enumerate the whole series of their actions: and as...

This occurred during the reign of Valentinus: Damasus and Ursinus, being both immoderately eager to obtain the bishopric, formed parties...

"Nor am I ashamed to confess that I have long known, from prophecy, that I should fall by the sword. And therefore do I venerate the...

being eager to extend the recollection of his reign (Julian) by the greatness of his exploits, he proposed to rebuild at a vast expense...

Constantius after this he confessed to his most intimate friends that, as if he were wholly forsaken, he had ceased to see a secret...

Julian (Roman Emperor) now forbade pheasants, or sausages, or even sow's udder to be served up to him, contenting himself with the cheap...

Sylla, who, guided by the apophthegms of Democritus, agreed with him that it is Fortune which spreads an ambitious table, but that Virtue...

Adrastea, who is also called Nemesis, the avenger of wicked and the rewarder of good deeds, is continually bringing to pass: would that...

We picked up one excellent word--a word worth traveling to New Orleans to get; a nice limber, expressive, handy word--'lagniappe.' They...

Mark Twain was a new river boat captain and was still being trained. He saw a reef ahead but the more experienced captain told him not...

I went below and fell into conversation with a passenger, a handsome man, with easy carriage and an intelligent face. We were approaching...

The nation of all the Gauls is extremely devoted to superstitious rites; and on that account they who are troubled with unusually severe...

In “The Turning Point of My Life,” Clemens said that a childhood sickness was the cause of his mother’s apprenticing him to a printer: “I...

A friend of Mark Twain could not find a job: He said, with an outburst of pathetic longing, “If I could only get a job at the Pioneer!”...

I never had any large respect for good spelling. That is my feeling yet. Before the spelling book came with its arbitrary forms, men...

Twichell has had many adventures. He has more adventures in a year than anybody else has in five. One Saturday night he noticed a bottle...

Demosthenes agreed with Cicero’s judgment. When someone asked him what the most effective device in speaking was, he replied, “Acting.”...

Quintus Hortensius believed that everything depended on graceful physical gestures, and he put almost more effort into working on them...

The proof of this notion must be shown in the case of famous personalities. Gaius Gracchus was a young man who was more fortunate in his...

The mere mention of the name of Demosthenes brings up the image of the greatest perfection in eloquence before the mind of the person who...

Roscius should not be left out, as he was the most famous case of dedication to the stage. When he faced the general public, Roscius...

All these witnesses were disregarded, but I shall tell of one man whose prestige was validated and influenced the court in a strange new...

Well, from his legal battles in the courts, Cicero won the highest honors and the most distinguished rank, but wasn’t his testimony...