Books With Flair

The Roman statesman and philosopher Seneca (4 BCE–65 CE) recorded his moral philosophy and reflections on life as a highly original kind of correspondence. Letters on Ethics includes vivid descriptions of town and country life in Nero’s Italy, discussions of poetry and oratory, and philosophical training for Seneca’s friend Lucilius. This volume, the first complete English translation in nearly a century, makes the Letters more accessible than ever before. Written as much for a general audience as for Lucilius, these engaging letters offer advice on how to deal with everything from nosy neighbors to sickness, pain, and death. Seneca uses the informal format of the letter to present the central ideas of Stoicism, for centuries the most influential philosophical system in the Mediterranean world. His lively and at times humorous expositions have made the Letters his most popular work and an enduring classic. Including an introduction and explanatory notes by Margaret Graver and A. A. Long, this authoritative edition will captivate a new generation of readers.

From the team that brought you The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, a beautiful daily devotional of Stoic meditations—an instant Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller. Why have history's greatest minds—from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with today's top performers from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities—embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise. The Daily Stoic offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you'll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms. By following these teachings over the course of a year (and, indeed, for years to come) you'll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well.

A new series of beautiful hardcover nonfiction classics, with covers designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith World-changing ideas meet eye-catching design: the best titles of the extraordinarily successful Great Ideas series are now packaged in Coralie Bickford-Smith’s distinctive, award-winning covers. Whether on a well-curated shelf or in your back pocket, these timeless works of philosophical, political, and psychological thought are absolute must-haves for book collectors as well as design enthusiasts. A philosophy that saw self-possession as the key to an existence lived "in accordance with nature," Stoicism called for the restraint of animal instincts and the severing of emotional ties. These beliefs were formulated by the Athenian followers of Zeno in the fourth century BC, but it was in Seneca that the Stoics found their most eloquent advocate. Stoicism, as expressed in the Letters, helped ease pagan Rome's transition to Christianity, for it upholds upright ethical ideals and extols virtuous living, as well as expressing disgust for the harsh treatment of slaves and the inhumane slaughter witnessed in the Roman arenas. Seneca's major contribution to a seemingly unsympathetic creed was to transform it into a powerfully moving and inspiring declaration of the dignity of the individual mind. Robin Campbell's distinguished translation captures Seneca's humour and concise, memorable aphorisms and his introduction discusses the tensions between Seneca's philosophy and his turbulent career as adviser to the tyrannical emperor Nero. For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Like the 'Meditations' of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca's 'Letters' are a treasure of practical wisdom on how to live and enjoy life. The focus is on living a simple, stress-free life thorough the use of rationalism. The letters provide practical steps for people to deal with the human suffering that comes with life's problems. Topics featured range from discussions on the shortness of life and anger to immortality and death. The 'Letters' are part of the foundation of Stoic thought making Seneca one of the indispensable thinkers from Ancient Roman philosophy.

The Epistulae morales ad Lucilium (English: Moral Epistles to Lucilius) is a collection of 124 letters which were written by Seneca the Younger at the end of his life. They are addressed to Lucilius, the then procurator of Sicily, although he is known only through Seneca's writings. In these letters, Seneca gives Lucilius tips on how to become a more devoted Stoic. Lucilius was, at that time, the Governor of Sicily, although he is known only through Seneca's writings. Selected from the Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, these letters illustrate the upright ideals admired by the Stoics and extol the good way of life as seen from their standpoint They also reveal how far in advance of his time were many of Seneca's ideas - his disgust at the shows in the arena or his criticism of the harsh treatment of slaves. Philosophical in tone and written in the 'pointed' style of the Latin Silver Age these 'essays in disguise' were clearly aimed by Seneca at posterity.

This edition of Seneca's Epistles unites all 124 of the letters in a single volume, complete with thorough explanatory notes, an appendix, and an index of the names referred to in the text. The entirety of this compendium was penned by Seneca during his retirement and sent to his friend Lucilius Junior, a procurator of Sicily. At this late stage of life, Seneca held great experience in matters of both philosophy and governance, having served under the Emperor Nero for fifteen years. Despite the conversational tone present in many of Seneca's epistles, it isn't entirely clear whether Seneca actually corresponded with Lucilius. It is possible that Seneca simply wished to write fictional correspondence so as to experiment with the form, possibly recreating how he wisely explained ideas or concepts to individuals. The quotation: Vita sine litteris mors - 'Life without learning [is] death' - is derived from the 82nd epistle, and remains the motto for several educational institutions around the world.

Letters from a Stoic, include Seneca's complete surviving collection of 124 letters. The letters focus on many themes of Stoic philosophy such as the contempt of death, the stout-heartedness of the sage, and virtue as the supreme good.

Included in this anthology are five original works by Seneca and a full-length biography: On the Happy Life, Letters from a Stoic Volume I, Medea, On Leisure, The Daughters of Troy and The Stoic: A biography of Seneca by Francis Caldwell Holland.