How to Die : An Ancient Guide to the End of Life / Seneca; James S. Romm.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, approximately 4 B.C.-65 A.D., author.

Contributor:

Romm, James S.

Romm, James S., editor.

Series:

Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers

Language:

English

Latin

Subjects (All):

Ethics.

Death.

Conduct of life.

08.21 Ancient philosophy.

Seneca--Early works to 1800.

Seneca.

Conduct of life--Early works to 1800.

Ethics--Early works to 1800.

Death--Early works to 1800.

Genre:

Early works.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (253 pages)

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2018]

Language Note:

Introduction and notes in English; texts of Seneca in English translation (pages 1-121), with Latin texts following (pages 125-215).

Summary:

Timeless wisdom on death and dying from the celebrated Stoic philosopher Seneca"It takes an entire lifetime to learn how to die," wrote the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca (c. 4 BC-65 AD). 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.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Introduction

How to die

I. Prepare Yourself

II. Have no fear

III. Have no regrets

IV. Set yourself free

V. Become a part of the whole

Epilogue: Practice what you preach

Latin texts

Notes

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

ISBN:

9781400889488

1400889480

OCLC:

1015239808