Two Greek Inscriptions from Axum
The African kingdom (and briefly empire) of Axum or Aksum flourished in modern-day Ethiopia from around the first century BCE until the tenth century CE.
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The Fourteen Rock Edicts of Ashoka
Asoka, who called himself Piyadasi, “Beloved of the Gods,” was the third king of the Mauryan Dynasty in the region corresponding to northern India, where…
Read moreThe Filial and Luminous Emperor Ching
The “Filial and Luminous Emperor” of the title was the emperor Ching, the sixth emperor of the Han Dynasty who ruled 154–141 BCE. He worked…
Read moreThe Deeds of the Divine Augustus (Res gestae divi Augusti)
Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, known as “Octavian” before 27 BCE and “Augustus” afterwards, was the adopted son of Julius Caesar and the first Roman emperor.
Read moreLaudatio “Turiae” (In Praise of Turia)
This is an excerpt from an inscription found in Rome and dated around 19 BCE. It appears to preserve the funeral oration (speech) given by…
Read moreInscriptions of Darius the Great
Darius I, known as Darius the Great, ruled the Persian Achaemenid Empire from 522 to 486 BCE. Sometime after taking the throne, he had a…
Read moreGaius: Excerpts on Slavery from Institutes
In the second century C.E., an otherwise unknown jurist named Gaius wrote a textbook of Roman law for students. In it, he set out clearly…
Read moreExcerpt from Livy's History of Rome
The Roman historian Titus Livius (c.59 BCE—17 CE) wrote one of the major surviving histories of the Roman Republic. Titled Ab Urbe Condita, "From the…
Read moreDocuments from the Council of Nicaea
This is a collection of English translations on this Christian church council, which was the first "Church-wide" council held after the practice of Christianity was…
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