I last read the oldest book I've ever read: The Liar, by Lucian of Samasota. It's a second century satirical comedy novel about a skeptic who finds himself in a room full of believers and hoaxers in the paranormal. It's a series of stories told by different characters about the second century version of people uploading videos about paranormal stuff to You Tube, taking in exorcism, walking on water (magic shoes like they all wear in the north), the earliest surviving (and maybe original) version of the Sorcerer's Apprentice, a walking statue and others. Each with scathing comments by the hero.
Stand out moments of nothing ever changes...
He lets the Greeks off for lying about the Tomb of Zeus and such as they need the tourists.
Total poser with his cool story about dealing with a murderous poltergeist while reading a book and being bored, because he's so cool.
A story I won't spoil but which is
really over the top and where the guy asks
his slave to verify it. The slave says that he only arrived just after it was over but there was a crack in the ground and he heard a dog barking, therefore
it is all true!
It's old enough (just!) that nobody has managed to copywrite it, so it can be read for free, and people were still funny 1700 years ago!
Oh and the punchline to the wooing the girl story is a classic.
The Liar | Philopseudes sive Incredulus | The Lucian of Samosata Project -
A note though: the on-line version was translated by somebody British and updates things at times, which can be a bit odd. Hyperboreans wear brogues! Romans transact in pounds and shillings!