Between 1839 and 1841, with significant help from other writers, Alexandre Dumas wrote and published 18 essays about some of the most famous crimes in Europe. Presented in stark and often graphic detail, these included some of the current, and therefore popular cases of Dumas' day. This essay tells the tragic story of Beatrice Cenci, who in 1598 was.....well, it would be wrong to tell you, but it is something extraordinary. For those who study history, true crime, or Western literature, these books represent a unique opportunity to experience crime and criminals from the 19th century perspective.

Writing at the time of political and social crisis in Athens, Aristophanes was an eloquent yet bawdy challenger to the demagogue and the sophist. The Achanians is a plea for peace set against the background of the long war with Sparta.