A collection of great stories that teach, inform, and inspire millions of readers.
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ANCIENT HISTORY
View All PostsAncient Rome was more sanitary than many imagine, with an effective sewer system for public sanitation and the disposal of human waste (yes, we’re talking toilets).
The Pyramid Texts are magical formulas used to secure the pharaoh's immortality. They are our earliest record of Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife.
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HISTORY
View All PostsSamizdat brought the works of Russian authors to the West and helped Soviet activists avoid censorship.
Despite the huge amount of state control on social life, people still managed to organize protests in the Soviet Union.
PHILOSOPHY
View All PostsDemocritus and Epicurus agreed on the atom but not on reality. This single disagreement created two vastly different philosophies on life and happiness.
Five centuries before Descartes championed radical doubt, Islamic philosopher Al-Ghazali had similar experiences and relatable conclusions.
ART & ARTISTS
View All PostsFrom the tragic tale of Orpheus and Eurydice to the rapturous love of Cupid and Psyche, here are the stories that Canova immortalized in stone.
Turin’s art museums and galleries offer new perspectives on old art through their juxtapositions of ancient and contemporary, conservative and progressive.
TRAVEL & CULTURE
View All PostsVincent Van Gogh’s two years in the village of Montmartre shaped his style, while his work shaped the city itself. Discover Montmartre through Van Gogh’s art.
Discover the unmissable highlights at Los Angeles’s Getty Museum, where masterpieces, modern design, and sun-soaked gardens collide in true California style.

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View MapsReligion
View All PostsA short, radical text puts Mary Magdalene at the center of Christian teaching.
In an empire where literacy was low, the Christian Church formed statements of faith, called creeds, for easy memorization.
Stories
View All PostsJane Austen drew on her family life, social circle, and extensive education to write her beloved novels that reinvented the narrative of morality.
Discover the life, legend, and literature of one of the Romantic era's greatest authors, Frankenstein creator Mary Shelley.




























