{"title":"Books by Seneca","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780199552405","title":"Dialogues and Essays","description":"'No man is crushed by misfortune unless he has first been deceived by prosperity.'In these dialogues and essays the Stoic philosopher Seneca outlines his thoughts on how to live in a troubled world. Tutor to the young emperor Nero, Seneca wrote exercises in practical philosophy that draw upon contemporary Roman life and illuminate the intellectual concerns of the day. They also have much to say to the modern reader, as Seneca ranges widely across subjects such as the shortness of life, tranquillity of mind, anger, mercy, happiness, and grief at the loss of a loved one. Seneca's accessible, aphoristic style makes his writing especially attractive as an introduction to Stoic philosophy, and belies its reputation for austerity and dogmatism. This edition combines a clear and modern translation with an introduction to Seneca's life and philosophical interests, and helpful notes. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201551728818,"sku":"9780199552405","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780199552405.jpg?v=1786013025"},{"product_id":"9780141018812","title":"Great Ideas On the Shortness of Life","description":"\u003cb\u003eTimeless advice on the art of living well, from the celebrated Penguin Great Ideas series\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe writings of the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca offer powerful insights into stoicism, morality and the importance of reason, and continue to provide profound guidance to many through their eloquence, lucidity and wisdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThroughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. The Penguin Great Ideas series brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56224179880309,"sku":"9780141018812","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780141018812_5b2ddb5e-8bd3-4895-94a8-51727bc355f4.jpg?v=1786011383"},{"product_id":"9780140455519","title":"Phaedra and Other Plays","description":"Living in Rome under Caligula and later a tutor to Nero, Seneca witnessed the extremes of human behaviour. His shocking and bloodthirsty plays not only reflect a brutal period of history but also show how guilt, sorrow, anger and desire lead individuals to violence. The hero of \u003ci\u003eHercules Insane\u003c\/i\u003e saves his own family from slaughter, only to commit further atrocities when he goes mad. The horrifying death of Astyanax is recounted in \u003ci\u003eTrojan Women\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003ePhaedra\u003c\/i\u003e deals with forbidden love. In \u003ci\u003eOedipus \u003c\/i\u003ea nervous man discovers himself, while Thyestes recounts the bitter family struggle for a crown. Of uncertain authorship, \u003ci\u003eOctavia\u003c\/i\u003e dramatizes Nero's divorce from his wife and her deportation. The only Latin tragedies to have survived complete, these plays are masterpieces of vibrant, muscular language and psychological insight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 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.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56224182501749,"sku":"9780140455519","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780140455519_e10cc22a-b9d2-4ff7-a0da-bde94cf4a1c9.jpg?v=1786011102"},{"product_id":"9780140441741","title":"Four Tragedies and Octavia","description":"Based on the legends used in Greek drama, Seneca's plays are notable for the exuberant ruthlessness with which disastrous events are foretold and then pursued to their tragic and often bloodthirsty ends. \u003ci\u003eThyestes\u003c\/i\u003e depicts the menace of an ancestral curse hanging over two feuding brothers, while \u003ci\u003ePhaedra\u003c\/i\u003e portrays a woman tormented by fatal passion for her stepson. In \u003ci\u003eThe Trojan Women\u003c\/i\u003e, the widowed Hecuba and Andromache await their fates at the hands of the conquering Greeks, and \u003ci\u003eOedipus\u003c\/i\u003e follows the downfall of the royal House of Thebes. \u003ci\u003eOctavia\u003c\/i\u003e is a grim commentary on Nero's tyrannical rule and the execution of his wife, with Seneca himself appearing as an ineffective counsellor attempting to curb the atrocities of the emperor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 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.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56224209076597,"sku":"9780140441741","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780140441741_e1deb48e-aaf6-4148-bc5a-eb2a1537b1b3.jpg?v=1786011676"},{"product_id":"9780140442106","title":"Letters from a Stoic","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"It is philosophy that has the duty of protecting us...without it no one can lead a life free of fear or worry.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor several years of his turbulent life, Seneca was the guiding hand of the Roman Empire. His inspired reasoning derived mainly from the Stoic principles, which had originally been developed some centuries earlier in Athens. This selection of Seneca's letters shows him upholding the austere ethical ideals of Stoicism—the wisdom of the self-possessed person immune to overmastering emotions and life’s setbacks—while valuing friendship and the courage of ordinary men, and criticizing the harsh treatment of slaves and the cruelties in the gladiatorial arena. The humanity and wit revealed in Seneca’s interpretation of Stoicism is a moving and inspiring declaration of the dignity of the individual mind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis reissued and reset edition includes a new introduction, chronology, and updated notes by Liz Gloyn. Paired with Robin Campbell's distinguished translation that captures Seneca's humor and tautly aphoristic style, Gloyn’s accessible introduction foregrounds the content of Seneca’s \u003ci\u003eLetters\u003c\/i\u003e and their importance to his philosophy. The intro includes the sections \"Seneca: Philosopher and Politician\"; \"A Short Introduction to Stoicism\"; \"Why Letters?\"; \"Key Themes in the Correspondence\"; and \"Writing to the Future.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePenguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing 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.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":56224209142133,"sku":"9780140442106","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57688200216949,"sku":"9780141395852","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780140442106.jpg?v=1792686121"},{"product_id":"9780140446791","title":"Dialogues and Letters","description":"Included in this volume are the dialogues \u003cb\u003eOn the Shortness of Life\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eOn Tranquility of Mind\u003c\/b\u003e, which are eloquent classic statements of Stoic ideals of fortitude and self-reliance. This selection also features extracts from \u003cb\u003eNatural Questions\u003c\/b\u003e, Seneca's exploration of such phenomena as the cataracts of the Nile and earthquakes, and the \u003cb\u003eConsolation of Helvia\u003c\/b\u003e, in which he tenderly tries to soothe his mother's pain at their separation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 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.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56224240402805,"sku":"9780140446791","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780140446791_0ac62890-9bfe-4530-8aee-f4194b65ba07.jpg?v=1786011846"},{"product_id":"9780192807069","title":"Six Tragedies","description":"Phaedra * Oedipus * Medea * Trojan Women * Hercules Furens * ThyestesSeneca's plays are the product of a sensational, frightening, and oppressive period of history. Tutor to the emperor Nero, Seneca lived through uncertain and violent times, and his dramas depict the extremes of human behaviour. Rape, suicide, child-killing, incestuous love, madness and mutilation afflict the characters, who are obsessed and destroyed by their feelings. Passion is constantly set against reason, and passion wins out. Seneca forces us to think about the difference between compromise and hypocrisy, about what happens when emotions overwhelm judgement, and about how, if at all, a person can be good, calm, or happy in a corrupt society and under constant threat of death.Seneca was one of the most prolific, versatile, and influential of all classical Latin writers, and the only tragic playwright from ancient Rome whose work survives. This new edition of his six best plays captures Seneca's style in a verse translation that is both lively and accurate.ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56225807401333,"sku":"9780192807069","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780192807069_be7bd384-b849-484d-9f32-b4e893e6df5a.jpg?v=1786010970"},{"product_id":"9780199533213","title":"Selected Letters","description":"'You ask what is the proper measure of wealth? The best measure is to have what is necessary, and next best, to have enough. Keep well!'The letters written by the Stoic philosopher and tragedian Seneca to his friend Lucilius are in effect moral essays, whose purpose is to reinforce Lucilius' struggle to achieve wisdom and serenity, uninfluenced by worldly emotions. Seneca advises his friend on how to do without what is superfluous, whether on the subject of happiness, riches, reputation, or the emotions. The letters include literary critical discussions, moral exhortation, exemplary heroes and episodes from Roman history, and a lurid picture of contemporary luxury. We learn about Seneca's household and estates and about life in the time of Nero; the topic of death is never far away.This readable new translation is the largest selection of Seneca's letters currently available. Accompanied by an invaluable introduction and notes, it opens a window on to Seneca's world. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56227142533493,"sku":"9780199533213","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780199533213_347b57cb-bc76-439b-9de7-8abc57c85eab.jpg?v=1786012519"},{"product_id":"9780241475263","title":"How to Be a Stoic","description":"\u003cb\u003eA selection of writings from some of the most iconic Stoics to guide and inspire a more mindful perspective\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow can we cope when life's events seem beyond our control? These words of consolation and inspiration from the three great Stoic philosophers - Epictetus, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius - offer ancient wisdom on how to face life's adversities and live well in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThroughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives--and upended them. Now Penguin brings you a new set of the acclaimed Great Ideas, a curated library of selections from the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56229983322485,"sku":"9780241475263","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241475263_700783d7-1aad-4ca7-b52e-66013e6b11d2.jpg?v=1786012546"},{"product_id":"9780241746899","title":"Why I am a Stoic","description":"\u003cb\u003e90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlagued by ill-health, violently sick at sea, irritated by renovation costs: Seneca is never less than sympathetically human. In these letters written 2000 years ago, the ancient philosopher speaks to the reader today with lucidity and warmth. Whether advising on how to live a good life, spend time alone or free oneself from fears of death, Seneca is the wise and compassionate friend we all need now.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56231298957685,"sku":"9780241746899","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241746899_f93c17c8-2a7f-4dfe-a5dc-540a1254c56a.jpg?v=1786012238"},{"product_id":"9780674997172","title":"Tragedies, Volume I – Hercules. Trojan Women. Phoenician Women. Medea. Phaedra","description":"Spectacular verse drama.   Seneca is a figure of first importance in both Roman politics and literature: a leading adviser to Nero who attempted to restrain the emperor’s megalomania; a prolific moral philosopher; and the author of verse tragedies that strongly influenced Shakespeare and other Renaissance dramatists.   Seneca’s plays depict intense passions and interactions in rhetoric that is equally strong. Their perspective is much bleaker than that adopted in his prose writings. His plots are based on mythical episodes, in keeping with classical tradition. But the political realities of imperial Rome are also reflected in an obsessive concern with power and dominion over others. The Octavia is our sole surviving example of a Roman historical play; set at Nero’s court, it was probably written by an admirer of Seneca as statesman and dramatist.   John G. Fitch has thoroughly revised his two-volume edition of Seneca’s Tragedies to take account of the textual and interpretive scholarship that has appeared since its initial publication. His translation conveys the force of Seneca’s dramatic language and the lyric quality of his choral odes.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56293292179829,"sku":"9780674997172","price":24.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780674997172_1d1ecaa0-c228-496e-85ae-81c1ae149c2c.jpg?v=1786015208"},{"product_id":"9780691181950","title":"How to Keep Your Cool – An Ancient Guide to Anger Management","description":"Timeless wisdom on controlling anger in personal life and politics from the Roman Stoic philosopher and statesman SenecaIn his essay “On Anger” (De Ira), the Roman Stoic thinker Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD) argues that anger is the most destructive passion: “No plague has cost the human race more dear.” This was proved by his own life, which he barely preserved under one wrathful emperor, Caligula, and lost under a second, Nero. This splendid new translation of essential selections from “On Anger,” presented with an enlightening introduction and the original Latin on facing pages, offers readers a timeless guide to avoiding and managing anger. It vividly illustrates why the emotion is so dangerous and why controlling it would bring vast benefits to individuals and society.   Drawing on his great arsenal of rhetoric, including historical examples (especially from Caligula’s horrific reign), anecdotes, quips, and soaring flights of eloquence, Seneca builds his case against anger with mounting intensity. Like a fire-and-brimstone preacher, he paints a grim picture of the moral perils to which anger exposes us, tracing nearly all the world’s evils to this one toxic source. But he then uplifts us with a beatific vision of the alternate path, a path of forgiveness and compassion that resonates with Christian and Buddhist ethics.   Seneca’s thoughts on anger have never been more relevant than today, when uncivil discourse has increasingly infected public debate. Whether seeking personal growth or political renewal, readers will find, in Seneca’s wisdom, a valuable antidote to the ills of an angry age.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56293577916789,"sku":"9780691181950","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780691181950_0ad2f3b3-78ab-4a40-8bc6-2c1ba9308226.jpg?v=1786015028"},{"product_id":"9780691219127","title":"How to Have a Life – An Ancient Guide to Using Our Time Wisely","description":"A vibrant new translation of Seneca’s “On the Shortness of Life,” a pointed reminder to make the most of our timeWho doesn’t worry sometimes that smart phones, the Internet, and TV are robbing us of time and preventing us from having a life? How can we make the most of our time on earth? In the first century AD, the Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger offered one of the most famous answers to that question in his essay “On the Shortness of Life”—a work that has more to teach us today than ever before. In How to Have a Life, James Romm presents a vibrant new translation of Seneca’s brilliant essay, plus two Senecan letters on the same theme, complete with the original Latin on facing pages and an inviting introduction.   With devastating satiric wit, skillfully captured in this translation, Seneca lampoons the ways we squander our time and fail to realize how precious it is. We don’t allow people to steal our money, yet we allow them to plunder our time, or else we give it away ourselves in useless, idle pursuits. Seneca also describes how we can make better use of our brief days and years. In the process, he argues, we can make our lives longer, or even everlasting, because to live a real life is to attain a kind of immortality.   A counterweight to the time-sucking distractions of the modern world, How to Have a Life offers priceless wisdom about making our time—and our lives—count.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294356648309,"sku":"9780691219127","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780691219127_a7d4d2c9-64e3-42d3-844c-01adb2c843c5.jpg?v=1786014588"},{"product_id":"9780674997189","title":"Tragedies, Volume II – Oedipus. Agamemnon. Thyestes. Hercules on Oeta. Octavia","description":"Spectacular verse drama.   Seneca  is a figure of first importance in both Roman politics and literature: a  leading adviser to Nero who attempted to restrain the emperor’s  megalomania; a prolific moral philosopher; and the author of verse  tragedies that strongly influenced Shakespeare and other Renaissance  dramatists.   Seneca’s plays depict intense passions and  interactions in rhetoric that is equally strong. Their perspective is  much bleaker than that adopted in his prose writings. His plots are  based on mythical episodes, in keeping with classical tradition. But the  political realities of imperial Rome are also reflected in an obsessive  concern with power and dominion over others. The Octavia is our  sole surviving example of a Roman historical play; set at Nero’s court,  it was probably written by an admirer of Seneca as statesman and  dramatist.   John G. Fitch has thoroughly revised his two-volume edition of Seneca’s Tragedies  to take account of the textual and interpretive scholarship that has  appeared since its initial publication. His translation conveys the  force of Seneca’s dramatic language and the lyric quality of his choral  odes.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294404227445,"sku":"9780674997189","price":24.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780674997189_7e721fb5-e823-413b-84d3-a15ee1ba2341.jpg?v=1786015209"},{"product_id":"9780691238647","title":"How to Do the Right Thing – An Ancient Guide to Treating People Fairly","description":"How ancient Stoicism can help teach us to treat others—and ourselves—more fairly and mercifully 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 readers better navigate one of the most important practical questions of daily life—how to do right by others.   Starting from the virtue of magnanimity—the opposite of small-mindedness—How to Do the Right Thing draws together lessons from Seneca’s writings that stress the importance of calm and clear thinking, of judging oneself fairly before judging others, and of cutting people slack, with a bias toward mercy—all delivered in crisp and lively new translations, and with the original Latin on facing pages.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294426182005,"sku":"9780691238647","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780691238647_4010ebec-30f7-4bb2-8d13-ef3302beb09b.jpg?v=1786014831"},{"product_id":"9780801494314","title":"Trojan Women","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis free and eloquent translation skillfully reproduces the imagery, power, and frequent irony and sarcasm of Seneca's language.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294845317493,"sku":"9780801494314","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780801494314_52fd4028-94e5-415b-b107-9d058f7422b3.jpg?v=1786015974"},{"product_id":"9781119751359","title":"Letters from a Stoic – The Ancient Classic","description":"DISCOVER THE ENDURING LEGACY OF ANCIENT STOICISM Since Roman antiquity, Lucius Annaeus Seneca’s Letters have been one of the greatest expressions of Stoic philosophy. In a highly accessible and timeless way, Seneca reveals the importance of cultivating virtue and the fleeting nature of time, and how being clear sighted about death allows us to live a life of meaning and contentment.    Letters from a Stoic continues to fascinate and inspire new generations of readers, including those interested in mindfulness and psychological techniques for well-being.    This deluxe hardback selected edition includes Seneca’s first 65 letters from the Richard M. 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He articulated the difficulties of living ethically and influenced many writers, including Marcus Aurelius, Michel de Montaigne, Dante Alighieri, Tertullian, Baruch Spinoza, and Edmund Burke.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56299738071413,"sku":"9781435173002","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781435173002_96d7e8dd-a12c-4d6a-9544-cdb7f7e5af5d.jpg?v=1786020432"},{"product_id":"9781912475421","title":"Apocolocyntosis","description":"“I know the same day made me free, which was the last day for him who made the proverb true—One must be born either a Pharaoh or a fool.” Best known as a philosopher and tragedian, in Apocolocyntosis Seneca also produced one of classical literature’s greatest satires. Depicting a posthumous trial in which the recently deceased Emperor Claudius makes the case for his elevation to the company of the gods, this short work brilliantly skewers the pretensions and corruptions of power.   Eris Gems make available in the form of beautifully produced saddle-stitched booklets a series of outstanding short works of fiction and non-fiction.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308603388277,"sku":"9781912475421","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781912475421_1dd07f42-4a78-422b-9a96-544e4dbf4f7f.jpg?v=1786030312"},{"product_id":"9789358566741","title":"Letters from a Stoic (Deluxe Hardbound Edition) by Seneca – Stoicism \/ Personal Development \/Practical Wisdom \/ Classic Literature","description":"Dive into the timeless reflections of Seneca, a Roman philosopher and statesman whose correspondence transcends centuries. \u003ci\u003eLetters from a Stoic\u003c\/i\u003e offers practical insights into resilience, ethical living, inner peace, and the pursuit of virtue amidst chaos. 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He counseled readers to \"study death always,\" and took his own advice, returning to the subject again and again in all his writings, yet he never treated it in a complete work. How to Die gathers in one volume, for the first time, Seneca's remarkable meditations on death and dying. Edited and translated by James S. Romm, How to Die reveals a provocative thinker and dazzling writer who speaks with a startling frankness about the need to accept death or even, under certain conditions, to seek it out. Seneca believed that life is only a journey toward death and that one must rehearse for death throughout life. Here, he tells us how to practice for death, how to die well, and how to understand the role of a good death in a good life. He stresses the universality of death, its importance as life's final rite of passage, and its ability to liberate us from pain, slavery, or political oppression. Featuring beautifully rendered new translations, How to Die also includes an enlightening introduction, notes, the original Latin texts, and an epilogue presenting Tacitus's description of Seneca's grim suicide.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311849091445,"sku":"9780691175577","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780691175577_bada1a77-9a33-4af5-984b-4e7cda0ffa05.jpg?v=1786014917"},{"product_id":"9780691255224","title":"How to Live","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA vivid new translation in which the Stoic philosopher argues that virtue is the only path to contentment\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhy are so many people unhappy when happiness can be attained by anyone who simply lives virtuously? That question prompted Seneca, the great Stoic philosopher of the early Roman empire, to write \u003ci\u003eOn the Happy Life\u003c\/i\u003e, and he continued to seek answers in his \u003ci\u003eMoral Epistles\u003c\/i\u003e. In \u003ci\u003eHow to Live\u003c\/i\u003e, Seneca biographer and translator James Romm presents vivid new versions of passages from both works, distilling Seneca’s passionate and inspiring argument for a path to perfect contentment, no matter what befalls us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a Stoic, Seneca believed that only ethical virtue leads to happiness; all other goals, including wealth and success, are neutral in their effects—or, if they torment us with what we haven’t achieved, sources of \u003ci\u003eun\u003c\/i\u003ehappiness. For role models, Seneca looks to Socrates, who embodied virtue and reason, and to a hypothetical sage who is always in tune with the divine mind that governs the cosmos. 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How can we mentally prepare for doomsday and other disasters? This anthology presents ancient Greek and Roman writings about the end of the world—from the poet Hesiod and his prediction that Zeus will destroy humanity to philosophers such as Plato, Lucretius, Seneca, and Epictetus, who viewed the end of the world as an inevitable and regular process of nature and the cosmos. These writers—the original doomscrollers—show how thinking about the annihilation of civilization or the planet can be instructive and healthy, and they seek to teach readers how to face catastrophe without fear.   Featuring fresh new translations and an introduction, as well as the original Greek and Latin texts on facing pages, this collection presents stories and ideas that are both familiar and unfamiliar. Here, Plato invents the tale of Atlantis to illustrate the idea that civilization is periodically wiped out by natural disasters, the Epicureans envision total planetary destruction in a universe guided by natural laws, the Stoics theorize that the cosmos is repeatedly consumed by its “creative fire” and then reborn, and much more.   Along the way, we discover the ancient roots of modern doomsday prepping and postapocalyptic fiction. But most of all, we learn how thinking about the end of the world can be oddly reassuring and improve how we live today.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56999049527669,"sku":"9780691262673","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780691262673_51d3a9dd-5b15-48c6-b82b-a803918f059d.jpg?v=1786033145"},{"product_id":"seneca-selected-letters","title":"Seneca: Selected Letters","description":"The letters of Seneca are uniquely engaging among the works that have survived from antiquity. They offer an urgent guide to Stoic self-improvement but also cast light on Roman attitudes towards slavery, gladiatorial combat and suicide. This selection of letters conveys their range and variety, with a particular focus on letters from the earlier part of the collection. As well as a general introduction, it features a brief introductory essay on each letter, which draws out its themes and sets it in context. The commentary explains the more challenging aspects of Seneca's Latin. It also casts light on his engagement with Stoic (and Epicurean) ideas, on the historical context within which the letters were written and on their literary sophistication. This edition will be invaluable for undergraduate and graduate students and scholars of Seneca's moral and intellectual development.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57481406251381,"sku":"9780521465830","price":29.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780521465830.jpg?v=1786089664"},{"product_id":"stoics","title":"The Stoics","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis luxurious hardback edition brings together four classic essays on Stoic philosophy from the Ancient Greek world, beautifully presented with gold embossing and stencilled page edges. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIs there an answer to the question 'How does one lead a happy life?' 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