The Thunder Omen


Book Description

Threptus the former beggar boy has teamed up with Floridius, a soothsayer and seller of sacred chickens. Together they earn a living helping people solve problems and mysteries. In this third book of the series, it is the time of Saturnalia - when all the rules are turned upside down and chaos ensues. Threptus is enjoying the mayhem but the thunder omens are disturbing. Can Threptus help his friend matchmake and avoid the disaster threatened by the thunder omen?




The Thunderstorm


Book Description

The work is set on a Volga estate, and features a dreadful, scheming widow and landowner, Kabanikha, who terrorizes her meek daughter-in-law, Katerina.




Omens and Oracles


Book Description

Addressing the role which divination played in ancient Greek society, this volume deals with various forms of prophecy and how each was utilised and for what purpose. Chapters bring together key types of divining, such as from birds, celestial phenomena, the entrails of sacrificed animals and dreams. Oracular centres delivered prophetic pronouncements to enquirers, but in addition, there were written collections of oracles in circulation. Many books were available on how to interpret dreams, the birds and entrails, and divination as a religious phenomenon attracted the attention of many writers. Expert diviners were at the heart of Greek prophecy, whether these were Apollo’s priestesses delivering prose or verse answers to questions put to them by consultants, diviners known as manteis, who interpreted entrails and omens, the chresmologoi, who sang the many oracles circulating orally or in writing, or dream interpreters. Divination was utilised not only to foretell the future but also to ensure that the individual or state employing divination acted in accordance with that divinely prescribed future; it was employed by all and had a crucial role to play in what courses of action both states and individuals undertook. Specific attention is paid in this volume not only to the ancient written evidence, but to that of inscriptions and papyri, with emphasis placed on the iconography of Greek divination.




de Romanis Book 1


Book Description

This is the new Latin course that you have long been waiting for! An introduction to both the Latin language and the cultural world of the Romans, it also develops English literacy skills through derivation tasks and two-way translation exercises, which promote the understanding of English as well as Latin. Cultural topics, supported by background notes, and primary sources, included for study and analysis, enable students to engage with authentic Roman history and acquire a broad understanding on which to build in future study. - Language learning is split between Core and Additional to ensure effective differentiation and flexible timetabling. - Fun and varied exercises include word identification, word manipulation, vocab acquisition / consolidation, and translation from English into Latin. - 30 words of new vocabulary in each chapter build towards a total of 360. - Vocabulary is consistently and constantly consolidated to give an unshakeable grounding for GCSE. - Clear and systematic explanations of grammar encourage steady progress. - Early use of Latin stories rather than isolated sentences build student confidence from the start. In this first volume students meet the gods and heroes of the Roman world, introduced through stories from Chapter 1 onwards, so that students can immediately read passages of Latin. From myths about the gods to stories about religious customs and festivals, this is the perfect way to learn about the religious framework of Roman daily life. The final chapter on prophecy, ending with stories of historical figures such as Caesar interpreting messages from the gods, prepares for the transition in the second volume to the world of men - and women - of ancient Rome.







The Wiccan's Dictionary of Prophecy and Omens


Book Description

THE WICCAN’S DICTIONARY OF PROPHECY AND OMENS Divination—the art of obtaining knowledge of the future or of secret things—has played an important role in ancient cultures and religions as well as in modern times. It was once a method of sacred communication with the spirit world and a way to determine the will of the gods by means of visions and predictions. In the present age, divination, including astrology, palmistry, and the I Ching, continues to be a popular method of looking into the future or past, as well as revealing that which was once unknown. In fact, a large number of our contemporary customs and superstitions are remnants of the once-powerful divinatory rituals of the ancient pagan religions. The Wiccan's Dictionary of Prophecy and Omens details over two hundred methods of divination, from those used in antiquity to those in use today. It traces the history of these practices and provides examples of nearly every known divinatory art. This is an essential resource for followers of today’s Wiccan lifestyle by modern Wiccan expert Gerina Dunwich.




People and Themes in Homer's Odyssey


Book Description

Published in 1970, this important work interprets the poem with a focus on the idiosyncrasies of its originally oral composition. In part I, the main themes of the Odyssey such as ‘guest-friendship’ and ‘testing’ are investigated. The incorporation of these and other themes, such as ‘omens’ and the ‘homecomings of the Achaeans’, into the dramatic construction of the whole epic is also examined. In Part II, the main characters of the Odyssey are described: the Suitors, Telemachus, Odysseus and Penelope. So too are Theoclymenus and Laertes, whom traditional criticism has maligned or disregarded. The analysis of the characters tries to illumine features which are challenging for the contemporary reader. In the conclusion, the ‘plan’ of the Odyssey is reconstructed. The author argues that it would probably have been performed over the course of three days: two sessions each day, with each recitation maintaining its own artistic unity.







Must-Read Halloween Books


Book Description

Musaicum Books presents to you a collection of the greatest horror, supernatural and gothic tales of all time: Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Théophile Gautier: Clarimonde The Mummy's Foot Richard Marsh: The Beetle H. P. Lovecraft: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward At The Mountains of Madness The Colour out of Space The Whisperer in Darkness The Dunwich Horror The Shunned House… Mary Shelley: Frankenstein The Mortal Immortal The Evil Eye… John William Polidori: The Vampyre Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart The Cask of Amontillado The Black Cat… Henry James: The Turn of the Screw The Ghostly Rental… Bram Stoker: Dracula The Jewel of Seven Stars The Lair of the White Worm… Algernon Blackwood: The Willows A Haunted Island A Case of Eavesdropping Ancient Sorceries… Gaston Leroux: The Phantom of the Opera Marjorie Bowen: Black Magic Charles Dickens: The Mystery of Edwin Drood Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray Arthur Conan Doyle: The Hound of the Baskervilles The Silver Hatchet… Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu: Carmilla Uncle Silas… M. R. James: Ghost Stories of an Antiquary A Thin Ghost and Others Wilkie Collins: The Woman in White The Haunted Hotel The Devil's Spectacles E. F. Benson: The Room in the Tower The Terror by Night… Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Birth Mark The House of the Seven Gables… Ambrose Bierce: Can Such Things Be? Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories Arthur Machen: The Great God Pan The Terror… William Hope Hodgson: The House on the Borderland The Night Land M. P. Shiel: Shapes in the Fire Ralph Adams Cram: Black Spirits and White Grant Allen: The Reverend John Creedy Dr. Greatrex's Engagement… Horace Walpole: The Castle of Otranto William Thomas Beckford: Vathek Matthew Gregory Lewis: The Monk Ann Radcliffe: The Mysteries of Udolpho Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre Emily Brontë: Wuthering Heights Rudyard Kipling: The Phantom Rickshaw Guy de Maupassant: The Horla Jerome K. Jerome: Told After Supper…




Bucket List Books for the Halloween


Book Description

e-artnow presents to you this meticulously edited Halloween collection of the greatest horror, supernatural and gothic tales of all time:_x000D_ Washington Irving:_x000D_ The Legend of Sleepy Hollow_x000D_ Théophile Gautier:_x000D_ Clarimonde_x000D_ The Mummy's Foot_x000D_ Richard Marsh:_x000D_ The Beetle_x000D_ H. P. Lovecraft:_x000D_ The Case of Charles Dexter Ward _x000D_ At The Mountains of Madness_x000D_ The Colour out of Space_x000D_ The Whisperer in Darkness _x000D_ The Dunwich Horror_x000D_ The Shunned House…_x000D_ Mary Shelley:_x000D_ Frankenstein_x000D_ The Mortal Immortal _x000D_ The Evil Eye…_x000D_ John William Polidori:_x000D_ The Vampyre_x000D_ Edgar Allan Poe:_x000D_ The Tell-Tale Heart_x000D_ The Cask of Amontillado_x000D_ The Black Cat…_x000D_ Henry James:_x000D_ The Turn of the Screw_x000D_ The Ghostly Rental…_x000D_ Bram Stoker:_x000D_ Dracula_x000D_ The Jewel of Seven Stars_x000D_ The Lair of the White Worm…_x000D_ Algernon Blackwood:_x000D_ The Willows_x000D_ A Haunted Island_x000D_ A Case of Eavesdropping_x000D_ Ancient Sorceries…_x000D_ Gaston Leroux:_x000D_ The Phantom of the Opera_x000D_ Marjorie Bowen:_x000D_ Black Magic_x000D_ Charles Dickens:_x000D_ The Mystery of Edwin Drood_x000D_ Oscar Wilde:_x000D_ The Picture of Dorian Gray_x000D_ Arthur Conan Doyle:_x000D_ The Hound of the Baskervilles_x000D_ The Silver Hatchet…_x000D_ Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu:_x000D_ Carmilla_x000D_ Uncle Silas…_x000D_ M. R. James:_x000D_ Ghost Stories of an Antiquary_x000D_ A Thin Ghost and Others_x000D_ Wilkie Collins:_x000D_ The Woman in White_x000D_ The Haunted Hotel_x000D_ The Devil's Spectacles_x000D_ E. F. Benson:_x000D_ The Room in the Tower_x000D_ The Terror by Night…_x000D_ Nathaniel Hawthorne:_x000D_ The Birth Mark_x000D_ The House of the Seven Gables…_x000D_ Ambrose Bierce:_x000D_ Can Such Things Be?_x000D_ Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories_x000D_ Arthur Machen:_x000D_ The Great God Pan_x000D_ The Terror…_x000D_ William Hope Hodgson:_x000D_ The House on the Borderland_x000D_ The Night Land_x000D_ M. P. Shiel:_x000D_ Shapes in the Fire_x000D_ Ralph Adams Cram:_x000D_ Black Spirits and White_x000D_ Grant Allen:_x000D_ The Reverend John Creedy _x000D_ Dr. Greatrex's Engagement…_x000D_ Horace Walpole:_x000D_ The Castle of Otranto_x000D_ William Thomas Beckford:_x000D_ Vathek_x000D_ Matthew Gregory Lewis:_x000D_ The Monk_x000D_ Ann Radcliffe:_x000D_ The Mysteries of Udolpho_x000D_ Jane Austen:_x000D_ Northanger Abbey_x000D_ Charlotte Brontë:_x000D_ Jane Eyre_x000D_ Emily Brontë:_x000D_ Wuthering Heights_x000D_ Rudyard Kipling:_x000D_ The Phantom Rickshaw_x000D_ Guy de Maupassant:_x000D_ The Horla_x000D_ Jerome K. Jerome:_x000D_ Told After Supper…