Hercules battled gods, men and monsters in a lifetime of violence and destruction. Today, Hercules is best known for his 'twelve labours', a series of near-impossible tasks assigned to him as punishment for the killing of his wife and children. During those tasks, he slew the multi-headed hydra, wrestled with Cerberus, hound of the underworld, and stole the girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons.... [click here for more]
From the wise and mysterious soothsayer with his long grey beard to the deathless necromancer practicing his dark magics in a forgotten dungeon, wizards have captured our imaginations since the earliest days of human storytelling, presenting us with some of our greatest heroes and villains.
This book collects the tales of the most interesting, popular, and important spell-casters, including such legendary... [click here for more]
Philippe Quinault (1635-1688) was the highest paid and most respected French librettist of his day, considered the equal of Racine. His libretti can be read as lyrical dramas without the music. The two plays included in this collection are retellings of the ancient legends of the Gods by the Roman poet Ovid.
In Cadmus and Hermione, Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, rescues Hermione, daughter of Venus... [click here for more]