Classic Books Library

The classics of humankind, in your language.

New, complete translations made directly from the original languages — Greek, Latin, Classical Chinese, Italian, French and German. Read the books that shaped the world, accurately, in one library.

Browse the collection

In your language

Every work is published in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Vietnamese, and more languages are on the way.

Translated from the original

We translate from recognised critical editions of the original texts, never from another translation, so that nothing is lost twice.

Complete and in series

Whole works and whole collections, not excerpts — each with an introduction, notes and a full table of contents.

The first collection

Philosophy and wisdom literature from Athens, Rome, Florence, Paris, Königsberg and ancient China.

  • Plato

    Apology of Socrates

    From the Greek

  • Plato

    Crito

    From the Greek

    Forthcoming

  • Plato

    Phaedo

    From the Greek

    Forthcoming

  • Plato

    Symposium

    From the Greek

    Forthcoming

  • Marcus Aurelius

    Meditations

    From the Greek

    Forthcoming

  • Epictetus

    The Handbook

    From the Greek

    Forthcoming

  • Seneca

    On the Shortness of Life

    From the Latin

    Forthcoming

  • Niccolò Machiavelli

    The Prince

    From the Italian

    Forthcoming

  • René Descartes

    Discourse on Method

    From the French

    Forthcoming

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau

    The Social Contract

    From the French

    Forthcoming

  • Immanuel Kant

    What Is Enlightenment?

    From the German

    Forthcoming

  • Laozi

    Tao Te Ching

    From the Classical Chinese

  • Confucius

    The Analects

    From the Classical Chinese

    Forthcoming

  • Sun Tzu

    The Art of War

    From the Classical Chinese

    Forthcoming