Showing titles in Greek & Roman

The original Latin name of this important essay by Seneca, written around 60 CE, was De Beneficiis, which is why it is generally translated as ‘On Benefits'. However, it is more usefully titled ‘On Favours', because this is what it is essentially about: the giving and receiving of favours, with all the implications of such transactions.

There are times when we've all felt that we haven't been treated as we deserve—that we've been misjudged, shortchanged, or given a raw deal. And, at one time or another, other people have probably felt that we've treated them just as unfairly. How to Do the Right Thing draws on the principles of ancient Stoicism as articulated by the Roman statesman and philosopher Seneca to help listeners better navigate one of the most important practical questions of daily life—how to do right by others.

Over two millennia after its compilation, the Politics still offers much to consider with regards to political science. Aristotle's succinct and thoughtful analysis is based on his study of over 150 city constitutions and covers the gamut of political issues in order to establish which types of constitution are best, ideally as well as for particular circumstances, and how they may be maintained.

Gretchen Reydams-Schils, a leading authority on Roman Stoicism, has carefully chosen and skillfully translated passages that exemplify the key themes of the Meditations, from everyday irritations such as encountering difficult people to existential worries such as the fear of death. How to Be Stoic also features a substantial and authoritative introduction and the original Greek text. The result is perhaps the most accessible edition of the Meditations available.

In Symposium, Plato presents a series of perspectives that move from the practical to the profound. Love is explored as a source of courage, a guide to beauty, and ultimately, a path toward higher truth. As each speaker builds upon—or challenges—the last, the dialogue unfolds into one of philosophy’s most enduring examinations of human connection.

This compassionate, personal, and illuminating work of nonfiction draws on the author's celebrated work as a director of socially conscious theater to connect listeners with the power of an ancient artistic tradition. For years Bryan Doerries has been producing ancient tragedies for current and returned servicemen and women, addicts, tornado and hurricane victims, and a wide range of other at-risk people in society.

The dramatic nature of Plato’s dialogues is delightfully evident in the "Symposium." The marriage between character and thought bursts forth as the guests gather at Agathon's house to celebrate the success of his first tragedy. With wit and insight, they each present their ideas about love - from Erixymachus’s scientific naturalism to Aristophanes' comic fantasy. The unexpected arrival of Alcibiades breaks the spell cast by Diotima’s ethereal climb up the staircase of love to beauty itself.

Stoicism has a lot to offer that is as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago—its guiding purpose was to help us to live better lives. The Stoic golden rule was that "we can't control external events, but we can choose how to respond to them". This idea can have a profound effect on how we exist in the world.

The instant New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller! Ryan Holiday’s bestselling trilogy—The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego is the Enemy, and Stillness is the Key—captivated professional athletes, CEOs, politicians, and entrepreneurs and helped bring Stoicism to millions of...

"Cesse de te laisser emporter par le tourbillon." Ouvrage majeur de la philosophie stoïcienne, les pensées de l'empereur Marc Aurèle furent rédigées entre 170 et 180 ap. JC. Ces pensées apparaissent aujourd'hui comme étant d'une modernité surprenante. Considérées comme une véritable méthode pour atteindre le bonheur, ce chef de guerre, en avance sur ce temps, y démontre que le coaching moderne et la tendance du développement personnel n'ont rien inventé.

Philosophy for busy people. Listen to this succinct account of the philosophy of Aristotle in just one hour. The philosophy of Aristotle dominated Western thought for over a thousand years. He had a mind that mastered all disciplines from mathematics to politics and had a continuing impact on...

A leading thinker of the Stoic school of philosophy, Epictetus (A.D. 55-135) was a renowned teacher whose students transcribed and compiled his teachings; this collection presents the work of Arrian, a Greek philosopher and historian who was a disciple of Epictetus. In these two brief but highly influential works, Epictetus demonstrates that philosophy is more than a theoretical discipline; it is a way of life based on logic, reason, and self-reflection.

In the winelands of 16th-century Germany, Obsopoeus witnessed the birth of a poisonous new culture of bingeing, hazing, peer pressure, and competitive drinking. Alarmed, and inspired by the Roman poet Ovid's Art of Love, he wrote The Art of Drinking (1536), a how-to manual for drinking with pleasure and discrimination. In How to Drink, Michael Fontaine offers the first proper English translation of Obsopoeus' text, rendering his poetry into spirited, contemporary prose and uncorking a forgotten classic that will appeal to drinkers of all kinds and (legal) ages. 

Philosopher and professor Dr. Lorraine Besser reveals the missing third piece in our search for the Good Life—what she calls The Interesting—and teaches us how to cultivate it in our lives. Traditionally, philosophers and psychologists have thought of the Good Life in terms of happiness or...

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c. 4 BC-AD 65), also known as Seneca the Younger, was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist from the Silver Age of Latin literature. This edition of Seneca's Epistles includes all 124 of the letters in a single volume, with explanatory notes, an appendix, and an index of the names occurring in the text. The letters were written by Seneca during his retirement and sent to his friend Lucilius Junior, a procurator of Sicily.

Theophrastus' Characters is a joyous festival of fault-finding: a collection of thirty closely observed personality portraits, defining the full spectrum of human flaws, failings, and follies. With piquant details of speech and behavior taken straight off the streets of ancient Athens, Theophrastus gives us sketches of the mean, vile, and annoying that are comically distorted yet vividly real. Enlivened by Pamela Mensch's fresh translation, Theophrastus' Characters transports us to a world populated by figures of flesh and blood, not bronze and marble.

Aristotle was the first philosopher to write ethical treatises. His best-known work in this field, The Nicomachean Ethics, consists of 10 books addressing the question of how the individual should best live. For Aristotle, ethics seeks to determine what makes a virtuous character possible, which is essential for a state of well-being. He describes a sequence of necessary steps to achieve this, such as righteous actions that promote the development of the right habits. He examines the moral virtues and their corresponding vices, like courage versus fear.

"Du willst Philosoph sein. Mach dich darauf gefasst, dass man dich auslacht." In seinem Handbüchlein weist Epiktet einen zeitlos modernen Weg, sich von jenen zweifelhaften Werten und Überzeugungen freizumachen, die den Menschen versklaven. Wer sich unter Epiktets Anleitung wahre innere Freiheit erwirbt, den wird nichts und niemand mehr hindern können, glücklich und zufrieden zu leben.

An engaging guide to how Stoicism—the ancient philosophy of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius—can help us flourish today. “One of the best explorations of Stoic philosophy that I’ve read.” —Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek Whenever we worry about what to eat, how to love...

Sokrates befindet sich gerade auf dem Weg zur Akademie, als Hippothales ihn anhält und ihn bittet, mit ihm in die neu errichtete Palästra zu kommen, um nähere Bekanntschaft mit jenem Jüngling zu machen, in den er, Hippothales, ganz offenkundig schwer verliebt ist. Der Name des Jünglings: Lysis. Bereitwillig folgt Sokrates dem Verliebten und macht in der Palästra die Bekanntschaft mit eben jenem Lysis, aber zudem auch mit dessen Freund und Kameraden Menexenos.