The Scepter And The Spear

'...this adept treatment of Homeric diction successfully bridges the gap between the technical aspects of oral poetics and literary analysis.'-RELIGIOUS STUDIES REVIEW

An accessible, in-depth exploration of the runes as a living spiritual tradition. Diana Paxson has distilled her many years of experience working with the runes into this essential source book. Readers will learn the historical meaning of each individual rune and its use and meaning now, in contemporary culture. But, Paxson reveals, the real power of the runes comes from internalizing them and using their symbols as sources of wisdom and power. At the end of each chapter are rituals and spells for all levels of ability that aim to help internalize the attributions, meanings, symbolism, and use of the runes. Everything regarding runes is covered in this definitive workbook, from the history of runes and how to make your own rune sets, to how to work with them on a psychic, spiritual, and magical level.

This book is the first translation from Latin into English of the juridical writings of one of the greatest minds of the Enlightenment and one of the greatest figures in Italian philosophy. The complete text is fully annotated, supplied with an extensive introduction, completed by historical and biographical documents, and graced with evocative illustrations. Legal scholars, philosophers, historians, and political scientists throughout the world may now discover a classic by one of the world’s great jurists. Giambattista Vico (1668-1744) spent his entire life in Naples, where he taught at the University of Naples from 1699, the year he won the Chair of Rhetoric and Forensic Eloquence, to 1741, the year Gennaro Vico, his son, took over the duty of lecturer. In 1723, after having written the Universal Right, he competed, though without success, for the Chair of Civil Law, at the same University. He wrote the Universal Right in Latin, the official and universal language of scholarly works, to prove his competency in the field of law and jurisprudence. The Universal Right had a continuous relevance to the development and growth of juristic studies, both in Italy and in Europe, where it was translated into French and German. From the eighteenth to the twentieth century, the Universal Right influenced the writings and teaching of the practitioners of the Forum—Emmanuele Duni, Antonio Genovesi, Jules Michelet, Francesco Lomonaco, Mario Francesco Pagano, Gian Domenico Romagnosi, Cesare Lombroso, Pasquale Galluppi, Cesare Beccaria, and, among the many recent jurists, Emilio Betti, who taught in Italy and Germany, the author of Allgemeine Auslegungslehre als Methodik der Geisteswissenschaften. Due to the influence of Benedetto Croce’s disapproving interpretation, the Universal Right remained often overshadowed by the New Science in its three editions of 1725, 1730, and 1744. As we start the twenty-first century, scholars are by-passing Croce’s statement, and are looking at the Universal Right with due objectivity and renewed interest. While the New Science has been available since 1948, the Universal Right appears now, for the first time, in English, the contemporary universal language. Contrary to the opinion of some scholars, Vico, in the New Science, stated that he did not regret having written the Universal Right; he used the copy in his possession as a reference manual for all the works written afterward, until 1735. Andrea Battistini wrote, “When an English translation of the Diritto universale [Universal Right] is available, which will be able to rectify the trend toward contemporary relevance with a greater sense of historicity through an emphasis on the debt to Roman jurisprudence, one will finally arrive at a synthetic overall view, obscured today by the numerous specialized analyses. At all events, however, it is to be hoped that the multiplicity of voices, the dialectical battle of interpretations and the duel between historicity and contemporary relevance do not subside”. Isaiah Berlin stated that, “Vico was not read,” and, thus, his ideas were the treasure-trove in the hands of a few specialists and, in like manner, they remained to our day. Other scholars have mentioned the “copiatori di [copycats of] Vico” when speaking about the history and transmission of ideas. In regard to Universal Right, contemporary research and writing is pale and scarce, given the unavailability of translations and the difficulties of the original.

This volume brings together Seth Benardete’s studies of Hesiod, Homer, and Greek tragedy, eleven Platonic dialogues, and Aristotle’s Metaphysics. The Argument of the Action spans four decades of Seth Benardete’s work, documenting its impressive range. Benardete’s philosophic reading of the poets and his poetic reading of the philosophers share a common ground, guided by the key he found in the Platonic dialogue: probing the meaning of speeches embedded in deeds, he uncovers the unifying intention of the work by tracing the way it unfolds through a movement of its own. Benardete’s original interpretations of the classics are the fruit of this discovery of the “argument of the action.”

Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 8227 coin types, this book describes and interprets the diachronic development of the representation of Roman emperors on imperial coins issued between 193 and 284.

“This series MUST continue!” ★★★★★ The Beginning of the End has never been so bittersweet… In the wake of their latest battle against Ba’al, one thing has become clear to Artemus Steele and his companions. The demonic organization is intent on dragging Drake Hunter to Hell, come what may. While Karl LeBlanc’s warning continues to preoccupy Artemus and the other Guardians, strange earthquakes rock the four continents, the origins of which turn out to be more sinister than anyone could have anticipated. After an unexpected attack brings them face to face with an enemy they cannot defeat, they realize they could very well lose the war against Ba’al. But when a fallen archangel turns up on their doorstep with a new Guardian in tow, all bets are off. Having walked the Earth for thousands of years to atone for his sins, Solomon Weiss becomes the custodian of Jacob Schroeder, a young boy he discovers in the desert. Conscious that Jacob is host to a powerful divine beast, the former archangel brings the child to Chicago to meet his kin and to seek Artemus and the Guardians’ help in stopping the opening of Jacob’s gate. As Ba’al renews its attacks on Artemus and his companions, the suspicion Solomon has always harbored about his connection with Jacob is borne out, while the true nature of what links Artemus, Drake, and Smokey finally becomes shockingly clear. Will Hell claim Drake as it has always intended? Or can Solomon and Jacob tip the scales and help Artemus and the Guardians save the dark angel from his grim fate? Heir is the penultimate book in AD Starrling’s spellbinding urban fantasy series Legion, the spin-off of her bestselling supernatural thriller series Seventeen. If you like smart-mouthed heroes, angels, demons, myths, and monsters, then you’ll love this enthralling sixth installment in Legion. Visit Shop AD Starrling to get digitally signed books and discounted bundles! Here’s what readers are saying about the Legion series: “I can't wait to see where this series takes us!” ★★★★★ “I couldn’t stop reading!” ★★★★★ “Unbelievably fantastic!” ★★★★★ “I give this book 10 stars!” ★★★★★ “Angels, Demons, Immortals, and Super Soldiers! What else do you need?” ★★★★★ “I cannot wait for the next book!” ★★★★★ “A fast paced thrill ride from the first page to the last!”★★★★★ “By far one of Starrling's best books!” ★★★★★ “Fantastically addictive” ★★★★★ “Ms. Starrling pulls no punches and gives us an amazing adventure full of promise.” ★★★★★