Top of page

Book/Printed Material Tales of Heroes and Great Men of Old.

About this Item

Title

  • Tales of Heroes and Great Men of Old.

Summary

  • Siyar al-Abtal wa-al-Uzama' al-Qudama' (Tales of heroes and great men of old) introduces young readers to classical mythology. It typifies many publications of the British and American missionaries in the Levant in the mid-to-late 19th century. Uplifting humanistic writing of this kind was new to the Middle East. It grew directly from the children's book movement in Britain in the first half of the century, led by the British Tract Society, which later reinforced the efforts of American missionaries to the Middle East, such as Cornelius Van Dyck. The book includes such stories as "Jason and the Golden Fleece," "The Battle of Thermopylae," "Hector and Achilles," and a description of the Olympiad. The author claims that the stories and myths illustrate "numerous ethical benefits such as control of our appetites and rejection of vengeance, injustice and blame in all their forms." He declares further that "Greek morality exemplifies Christian morality in that it offers clear demonstration of self-respect and regard for the needs of others over our own needs." Publication of the book was the result of cooperation between the British Tract Society, which provided funds, and the American Press in Beirut, which printed this generously illustrated book. Copies presumably were distributed at Protestant schools and churches operated by both British and American missionaries. Neither the author nor translators are named in the book, but the edition of 1883 mentions that it was written by S.S. Pugh, a British author of edifying books. Secondary sources identify the translators as Ya'qūb Sarrūf and Faris Nimr, classmates and later instructors at the Syrian Protestant College. They co-founded the influential periodicals al-Muqtataf (The selected) and al-Muqattam (The Muqattam Hills) and were granted honorary doctorates by New York University.

Names

  • Nimr, Faris, 1856-1951 Translator.
  • Pugh, S. S., author.
  • Religious Tract Society (Great Britain)
  • Ṣarrūf, Yaʻqūb, 1852-1927, translator

Created / Published

  • Beirut : American Press, 1890.

Headings

  • -  Greece
  • -  Italy
  • -  1890
  • -  Missionaries
  • -  Mythology, Greek
  • -  Mythology, Roman

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 310 pages ; 20 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: Qatar National Library.
  • -  Content in Arabic.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666245

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Nimr, Faris, Translator, S. S Pugh, and Religious Tract Society. Tales of Heroes and Great Men of Old. translateds by Ṣarrūf, YaʻQūb, Lator Beirut: American Press, 1890. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666245/.

APA citation style:

Nimr, F., Pugh, S. S. & Religious Tract Society. (1890) Tales of Heroes and Great Men of Old. Ṣarrūf, Y., trans Beirut: American Press. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666245/.

MLA citation style:

Nimr, Faris, Translator, S. S Pugh, and Religious Tract Society. Tales of Heroes and Great Men of Old. trans by Ṣarrūf, YaʻQūb, Lator Beirut: American Press, 1890. Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666245/>.