The tag has no wiki summary.

learn more… | top users | synonyms

5
votes
0answers
54 views

What literary or philosophical works did the ancient Egyptians have that have influenced ancient civilizations or the modern word?

We all know of the Roman and Greek literary and philosophical works which still resonate to this day and read by many. As a an ancient and long old civilization, what works of equal importance do we ...
1
vote
2answers
64 views

Is there a basis for the character of Morgan le Faye from the King Arthur tale?

What real life person, persons, or events was Morgan le Faye, cast as an evil enchantress in most King Arthur tales, based on?
3
votes
0answers
25 views

What was the character of the Sylva Sylvarum that differentiated it from previous works?

The Sylva Sylvarum (1627) is recognized as the first 'treatise on natural history'. Some regard it as the most-complete work, for its day. But as early as 70AD, other works existed, such as Pliny's ...
1
vote
0answers
49 views

Understanding what these reference shortforms represent [closed]

In the book "Giordano BRUNO His Life and Thought" by Dorothea Waley Singer, chapter 7 references often have a form of 18 Doc. Ven. XV. or 49 Docc. Rom. XX, XXI. How do I decipher their ...
1
vote
2answers
116 views

Were Civil-War-era Americans better writers than modern Americans? [closed]

Whenever I hear people recite speeches, letters, and historical accounts from Americans who lived through the Civil War, I'm struck by the exceptional quality of their writing. Compared to modern ...
9
votes
3answers
245 views

Would the original readers of Lewis Carroll's books have made connections between the experiences in the books and drug use?

Modern readers of Lewis Carroll's books (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass) will undoubtedly make some connections between radical changes in perspective following the ...
2
votes
0answers
40 views

How accurate is the Historical evidence use in the book Non-Zero?

Someone recommended the book Non Zero. It looks very interesting but one well written negative review points out that while the author's previous book (The Moral Animal) was well researched and ...
13
votes
2answers
316 views

Were Shakespeare's plays written for “high culture” or “entertain the bawdy masses” during his time?

Currently, the plays of William Shakespeare are viewed as great English literature, and viewed as "high culture". However I heard someone say that Shakespeare was writing "bawdy, violence filled plays ...