"The well-known mythographer Marina Warner has described the process of reading fairy tales and folktales as 'tasting the dragon's blood' - a magical and transformative process by which one's ears are opened to the voices of the past and of other worlds. Roman exempla, which constitute a national story-telling tradition, are very different in many ways from the dream-like fantasies of fairy-tales and other narrative folk traditions that have been the subject of Warner's studies. In (supposedly) true stories from history, battle-hardened warriors, noble maidens and honourable sons of the soil face impossible dangers, take terrible decisions and sacrifice their lives, their limbs and even their own children for the sake of justice, discipline and the Roman community. Yet for the ancient Romans too, hearing the blood-soaked stories of their ancestral heroes was an intimate and potent experience, and this 'taste of the hero's blood' had an intoxicating effect similar to the blood of Warner's dragon: evoking other worlds, shaping understanding of their own world"--

C. Everett Koop, William D. Ruckelshaus, Marie Ragghianti, Elsa Porter, George C. Marshall--what do these and other exemplary public administrators have to teach us? Through their life and work they have set high standards of conduct in public service, and offer models of character and leadership at work in government. An exploration and analysis of how the qualities of leadership and character are manifested in the public workplace, this book provides a set of concrete examples of how such virtues as integrity, fortitude, dedication to service, and concern for the public welfare are lived out on the job. Embodied in the daily activities of public servants, the authors reveal, are examples of both brief, highly dramatic acts of courage--whistle blowing, the refusal to go along with an unethical or illegal command--and the more routine, even plodding, expressions of inconspicuous virtue which establish a pattern of integrity in the ongoing work of public administration. The authors present eleven case studies of public administrators which illustrate how today's managers can provide models and systems that promote ethical conduct in public service.

The glory of the Italian Renaissance came not only from Europe's Latin heritage, but also from the rich legacy of another renaissance - the palaeologan of late Byzantium. This nexus of Byzantine and Latin cultural and ecclesiastical relations in the Renaissance and Medieval periods is the underlying theme of the diverse and far-ranging essays in Constantinople and the West.

Fifteen essays, presented by Thompson (political science, Yale U.) Explore both historical and contemporary issues of ethics (mostly in the political and social sphere). After separate treatments of the ethical thinking of Aristotle, Cicero, Machiavelli, Rousseau, Kant, Nietzsche, and others, the final third of the essays discuss such issues as the failure of ethics in American government, ethical considerations of information technology, and the paradox of trying to establish societal notions of right and wrong on individual judgements of ethics. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The Longman Anthology of World Literature, Compact Edition, presents a fresh and diverse range of the world's great literature in a single volume that links past and present, East and West, and literary and cultural contexts. Featuring major works by literary masters from the ancient world through the twentieth century, this concise anthology combines comprehensive coverage of key works of the Western literary tradition and the best core, enduring works of the literatures of China, Japan, India, the Middle East, Africa, and native Americas. The anthology includes epic and lyric poetry, drama, and prose narrative, with many complete works and a focus on the most influential pieces and authors from each region and time period. The texts are supplemented by contextual materials that help students understand the literary and historical eras from which these texts arose. Engaging introductions, scholarly annotations, maps, pronunciation guides, and illustrations developed by a distinguished editorial team provide a wealth of teachable materials that support and illuminate the selections.

Covers ancient Greek and Roman writers of the classical period. Entries include biographical information, as well as discussion of the themes and styles of major works.