Western literature and philosophy starts here.
The Iliad
"I have always from my earliest youth had an awe and love of Homer which even now makes the words falter on my lips, for he seems to be the great captain and teacher of the whole of that noble tragic company..." -Plato
"All that man has thought or said about the glory and horror of the battlefield, the internal struggle of the soldier, and the inescapable nature of our mortality is contained within the pages of Homer’s epic. It is here that western literature, here that the big questions begin to be asked, here that beauty meets truth." -From Markos's Introduction
In the middle of the great Trojan War, the great warrior Achilles is slighted and leaves the battle to sit by his ships until his honor is restored, no matter how high the casualties mount. In his great poem, Homer shows the brutality of war, the brevity of life, the emptiness of honor, and the unspeakable grief that unites even the most hardened of foes. No pagan classic expresses greater beauty or depth, perhaps because it captures so poignantly a world hungry for the Gospel.
This Canon Classic, translated into verse by the talented poet William Cullen Bryant, presents the moving sadness of the epic as clearly as it did for the Greeks three thousand years ago. The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book’s materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation.
This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Plot Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Discussion Questions & Answers.
The Odyssey
"In The Odyssey one may liken Homer to the setting sun, of which the grandeur remains without the integrity." -Longinus, On the Sublime
"If the Iliad is the first tragedy ever written, then the Odyssey is the first comedy. Whereas the first gives us man the warrior, seeking glory on the battlefield, the second gives us man the husband and father, seeking domestic bliss with his family." ~From Dr. Markos's Introduction
After the sack of Troy, the hero Odysseus travels the high seas homeward bound and finds himself confronted by every imaginable danger the angry god Poseidon can throw at him. Whether it's escaping the one-eyed Cyclops, avoiding getting turned into a pig by an enchantress, or resisting the deadly songs of Sirens, Odysseus remains determined to reach his homeland and save his faithful wife and young son from suitors who are destroying his livelihood and legacy.
This Canon Classic is an ancestral fairy tale about a man who fights monsters and comes home to save his bride, translated into verse by the famous poet William Cullen Bryant. The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book’s materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation.
This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Plot Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Discussion Questions & Answers.
"[O]ur ancestors found in the Aeneid a purpose, a pathos, and a profundity that moved them. It was Virgil—not in opposition to but alongside the Bible—who taught Christian Europe the shape of history, the cost of empire, the primacy of duty, the transience of fame, the inevitability of death, the pain of letting go, and the burden of adapting new strategies." -From Louis Markos's Introduction
As Troy burns and King Priam dies in his own blood, a star descends to herald the birth of a new empire from the ashes. But to lay their new city's foundations, Aeneas and his people must cross the seas, evade harpies, resist the allurements of Queen Dido, and even pass through Hades itself before reaching Latium and winning the hand of a princess. Virgil celebrates the greatness of Rome and its destiny to rule unflinchingly and bring peace to the world.
This Canon Classic is a beautiful verse translation by Christopher Pearse Cranch that makes accessible a thrilling epic of fortitude, adventure, duty, and destiny. The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book’s materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation.
This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Plot Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Discussion Questions & Answers.
Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
"It is fine for scholars to study Marcus, but it is natural for the captains of industry and armies to carry him in their briefcases, for this was a man of action, not merely of words, and the few words he wrote to himself were meant to incite action, not dissertations." -C. Scott Hicks and David V. Hicks
Look Inside the Book
"What if you could spy into the mind of a great world leader? Uncover what made them tick? See what motivated them? Learn to understand why they made the decisions they made? Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations allow you to do just that, and the wisdom found in them is astounding." ~From Dr. Phillips's Introduction
At the peak of the Roman empire, leading the Western world's most sophisticated military force against the barbarians, Emperor Marcus Aurelius began jotting down meditations on the insignificance of the material world and the importance of keeping a right and sober mind. We are no more than what we value—and even a beast seeks food, shelter, and comfort. Instead, the kingly philosopher sought to remind himself that the presence of trouble in this life is to be expected, and unhappiness can only control those who let it.
Translated crisply by George Long, this Canon Classic records a great emperor's personal struggle to combat both disappointment and disaster by turning to philosophy. The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book’s materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation.
This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Plot Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Discussion Questions & Answers.
Plato's Republic
"The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." -Alfred North Whitehead
"You'd never know Athens was locked in a life-or-death struggle from the tranquil and leisurely philosophical discussion that unfolds through the pages of the Republic...Plato's masterpiece continues to inform our questions and our thinking when it comes to being, truth, beauty, goodness, justice, community, the soul, and more." -From Dr. Littlejohn's Introduction
On the way back from a festival, Socrates is waylaid by some friends who compel him to go home with them. There he and his companions engage in a long discussion about whether it is worse to suffer evil or to commit it. Far from being dry or abstract, Plato's dialogue is full of practical questions about the nature of justice, education, power, and virtue, and it ends with two of the most vivid myths ever devised by man.
This Canon Classic is translated clearly by Benjamin Jowett, and unlike all other works of philosophy, it's actually fun to read. The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book’s materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation.
This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Plot Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Discussion Questions & Answers.
The Consolation of Philosophy
“Until about two hundred years ago it would, I think, have been hard to find an educated man in any European country who did not love it. To acquire a taste for The Consolation of Philosophy] is almost to become naturalised in the Middle Ages.” ~C.S. Lewis
"Is it better to try your hardest and succeed or try your hardest and fail? Imagine two college students: one receives only 'As,' the other only 'Fs.' On the surface, it appears that good fortune is clearly more conducive to happiness than bad. But what happens when things go wrong? Which of these two students is more likely to respond better when his car is suddenly totaled? Who is more grateful for an unexpected gift? Who is more prepared to weather the ups and downs of a storm-filled life? Who would be more likely to receive the gospel? When we change the lens with which we observe these two figures, they start to appear in a different light. Fortune doesn’t last. We cannot count on good blessings all the time. Only by experiencing adversity are we trained in gratitude and thankfulness." ~From Austin Hoffman's Introduction
Imprisoned on false charges of conspiracy, the Roman philosopher and statesman Boethius penned this work in which he is comforted in his misfortune by Lady Philosophy. This book stands at the turning of the ages: Boethius took the best of pagan philosophy and made it the foundation of medieval philosophy and culture. It is a profound discussion of such issues as fortune and suffering, free will and predestination, and how doing good is its own reward.
This Canon Classic will take you back to the Middle Ages and remind you that some things are more important than good fortune. The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book's materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation. This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Argument Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Significant Questions & Answers.
Age of Fable
“The oldest, best beloved, standard book of classical myths.” ~Edmund Fuller
If you want to understand Shakespeare, Narnia, or even The Avengers, you need to know the classical myths. The tales of Zeus, Thor, Hercules, and Perseus are an essential part of a comprehensive education, and this collection by Thomas Bulfinch is one of the best retellings. Not only are these stories key for understanding western paintings, poems, and stories, but they are fun and exciting and you will remember them for the rest of your life.
This Canon Classic will introduce you to the great myths of western literature. The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book’s materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation.
This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Plot Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Discussion Questions & Answers.
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