A DAY IN OLD ATHENS: A PICTURE OF ATHENIAN LIFE Written by William Stearns Davis. Most of the resources that have been listed here are focused on language. However, this is an English language history of social life and customs in ancient Greece which may be of cultural interest to those teaching the language. Available as a free download from Project Gutenberg.
AMBLESIDE ONLINE PLUTARCH ROTATION A hyperlinked reading guide for the study of Plutarch’s Lives.
ANCIENT GREECE IN FICTION A database of novels and stories.
BALDWIN PROJECT GREEK CIVILIZATION Five comprehensive e-text histories of ancient Greece, available for reading online or printing for personal use. Included are Haaren and Poland’s Famous Men of Greece; Mary Macgregor’s The Story of Greece; H.A. Guerber’s The Story of the Greeks; Eva March Tappan’s The Story of the Greek People; and Charles Morris’ Historical Tales: Greek. In addition, the Baldwin Project has 35 more e-texts pertaining to Greece on their site.
BALDWIN PROJECT ANCIENT ROMAN CIVILIZATION Four comprehensive e-text histories available for reading online for printing for personal use. most notably Haaren’s Famous Men of Rome; Guerber’s The Story of the Romans; Mary Macgregor’s The Story of Rome; and Charles Morris’ Historical Tales: Roman. In addition, the Baldwin Project has 24 more e-texts pertaining to Rome on their site.
BBC ROMAN HISTORY Learn about Rome, its Empire, Roman Britain, Gladiators and Pompeii. Includes timelines, interactive games, recipes, photographs, 3D reconstructions, and more.
A BOOK OF MYTHSWritten by Jean Lang and Illustrated by Helen Stratton. Available for free download in HTML or Plain Text format from the Gutenberg Project. The HTML version includes color illustrations.
BREWER’S DICTIONARY OF PHRASE AND FABLE This searchable resource catalogs over 18,000 references that “give the derivation, source or origin of common phrases, allusions and words that have a tail to tell.”
BULFINCH’S MYTHOLOGY Written by Thomas Bulfinch in 1855 and reprinted many times since. This version is available for free via download from the Gutenberg Project.
CLASSIC MYTHS RETOLD BY MARY CATHERINE JUDD Written in 1901, this electronic text includes stories from the mythologies of several cultures including the Greek and Roman. Available for free via download in HTML or Plain Text Format from the Gutenberg Project.
ETERNALLY COOL A blog devoted to keeping up “with all that’s happening in the world’s oldest and coolest city, from art to food, from fashion to furniture, from advertising to literature, and from street life to art exhibits.” If you’ve been to Rome, you know it is a place where past meets present and there’s plenty about both here -- including archaeology, architecture, historic sites, museums, myth and legend, and more!
ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY An online dictionary which explores the relation between modern English words and their ancient Greek and Roman etymological origins. Includes appendices which consider Greek and Roman mythological influences on astronomy, calendar terms, personal names, phrases and conversation and popular culture.
FAMOUS TALES OF FACT AND FANCY, MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE NATION AND WORLD RETOLD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS *NEW* by Logan Marshall. Illustrated with Original Plates. Available for free download in HTML or Plain Text format from the Gutenberg Project. The HTML version includes color illustrations.
FICTIONAL ROME A database of historical novels set in the ancient world. Site also includes reviews, essays, a glossary, references and bibliographies, a timeline, and links. Highly recommended!
THE GOLDEN BOUGH Written by Sir James George Frazer, this is an abridged version of the classic comparative study in magic and religion.
A HANDBOOK FOR LATIN CLUBS This is a downloadable book from the Gutenberg Project. Written by Susan Paxson in 1916, this volume includes supplementary material and programs for the Latin teacher. There’s plenty of interesting material here that might work well for teachers who would like to incorporate cultural material into their curriculum. Some of the programs might be very useful for a Roman banquet. There are English language poems based upon Classical subjects. There are several “macaronic” poems -- poems written in more than one language. (One is written in seven languages!) There are Latin songs -- some even include the sheet music.
HEROES OR GREEK FAIRY TALES FOR MY CHILDREN By Charles Kingsley. This is a collection of stories about the heroes Perseus, Jason and Theseus. Available for free via download in HTML or Plain Text format from the Gutenberg Project.
THE HISTORY OF ROME Volumes 1-5 of the famous work by Theodor Mommsen, a German classicist of the 19th century. Available for free via download from the Gutenberg Project.
LAYS OF ANCIENT ROME A collection of Victorian-era ballads written by Thomas Babbington Macaulay about heroic episodes in Roman history. Includes Horatius, the Battle of Lake Regilius, Virgina, and the Prophecy of Capys. Available for free via download in HTML or Plain Text Format from the Gutenberg Project.
MORFORD AND LENARDON MYTHOLOGY Companion website to accompany the best-selling mythology textbook from Oxford University Press.
MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME A Handbook of Mythology by E.M. Berens. Available for free via download in HTML or Plain Text Format from the Gutenberg Project.
MYTHS THAT EVERY CHILD SHOULD KNOW A SELECTION OF THE CLASSIC MYTHS OF ALL TIMES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Edited by Hamilton Wright Mabie and Illustrated and Decorated by Blanche Ostertag. Originally published in 1906 and available for free download in HTML and Plain Text from the Gutenberg Project.
PADRAIC COLUM COLLECTION This collection at Bartleby includes his retellings of the ancient mythological stories of Odysseus, the Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles.
ROMAN ANTIQUITIES AND ANCIENT MYTHOLOGY FOR CLASSICAL SCHOOLS by Charles K. Dillaway. Originally published in 1883, this book is available in HTML or Plain Text format via download from the Gutenberg Project.
THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE FIRST CENTURY This website accompanies the PBS broadcast of the series. Teachers will want to pay special attention to a specially designed section of educational activities which include The Emperor of Rome interactive game, Which Ancient Roman Are You quiz, a Virtual Library and Timeline. Eight lessons are provided as well as a video clip library.
THE ROMANS Antony Kamm’s The Romans, published by Routledge, has been placed online with permission, by Andrew Wilson. This searchable online resource contains the text of the book, from the foundation to the end of the empire, as well as timelines, photographs, original illustrations, AND a number of interactive quizzes!
A SMALLER HISTORY OF GREECE A history of Greece from the earliest times to the Roman conquest. Written by William Smith, LL.D., this book is available in several formats, including Plain Text and HTML via download from the Gutenberg Project.
A SMALLER HISTORY OF ROME A history of Rome from the earliest times to the establishment of the empire with a continuation to A.D. 479. Written by William Smith, LL.D. in 1881, this book is available in HTML or Plain Text Format via download from the Gutenberg Project.
SPARKNOTES INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY An online study guide based upon Edith Hamilton’s Mythology.
THE STORY OF ROME FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE END OF THE REPUBLIC by Arthur Gilman. This book is available in HTML or Plain Text Format via download from the Gutenberg Project.
YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO BE A ROMAN GLADIATOR An online book based on the print version of the same title, which is produced by the Salariya Book Company and published by Franklin Watts.
View of the Roman Forum courtesy Vroma.org
