The Wisdom of the Ancients

by Francis Bacon

Contents

• Preface
• Chapter I - Cassandra, or Divination
• Chapter II - Typhon, or a Rebel
• Chapter III - The Cyclops, or the Ministers of Terror
• Chapter IV - Narcissus, or Self-Love
• Chapter V - The River Styx, or Leagues
• Chapter VI - Pan, or Nature
• Chapter VII - Perseus, or War
• Chapter VIII - Endymion, or a Favourite
• Chapter IX - The Sister of the Giants, or Fame
• Chapter X - Acteon and Pentheus, or a Curious Man
• Chapter XI - Orpheus, or Philosophy
• Chapter XII - Cœlum, or Beginnings
• Chapter XIII - Proteus, or Matter
• Chapter XIV - Memnon, or a Youth Too Forward
• Chapter XV - Tythonus, or Satiety
• Chapter XVI - Juno's Suitor, or Baseness
• Chapter XVII - Cupid, or an Atom
• Chapter XVIII - Diomed, or Zeal
• Chapter XIX - Dædalus, or Mechanical Skill
• Chapter XX - Ericthonius, or Imposture
• Chapter XXI - Deucalion, or Restitution
• Chapter XXII - Nemesis, or the Vicissitude of Things
• Chapter XXIII - Achelous, or Battle
• Chapter XXIV - Dionysus, or Bacchus
• Chapter XXV - Atalanta and Hippomenes, or Gain
• Chapter XXVI - Prometheus, or the State of Man
• Chapter XXVII - Icarus and Scylla and Charybdis, or the Middle Way
• Chapter XXVIII - Sphinx, or Science
• Chapter XXIX - Proserpine, or Spirit
• Chapter XXX - Metis, or Counsel
• Chapter XXXI - The Sirens, or Pleasures

Endnotes

1. ^  Most of these fables are contained in Ovid's Metamorphoses and Fasti, and are fully explained in Bohn's Classical Library translation.