Since you're mortal... : life lessons from the lost Greek plays / James Romm.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Romm, James S., compiler, translator.

Contributor:

Stobaeus, Compiler.

Language:

English

Greek, Ancient (to 1453)

Subjects (All):

Dramatists, Greek--Quotations--Translations into English.

Dramatists, Greek.

Aphorisms and apothegms.

aphorisms.

Genre:

quotations (texts)

Quotations.

Drama.

Physical Description:

x, 166 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Since you are mortal...

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., [2026]

Summary:

Presents a selection of quotes from Greek plays compiled by a 5th-century man named Stobaeus to pass on their wisdom to his son, along with quotes from lost plays found in other writers.

"In the 5th century AD, a man named Stobaeus compiled an anthology of short quotes from Greek plays that no longer survive in their full original form. The aim of the anthology was to inspire and instruct his son: the fragments were pithy packets of wisdom expressed in eloquent verse, selected with a father's discerning eye. Often sorrowful, sometimes startling, they are among the greatest quotations from some of the greatest poets of all time. As Sophocles wrote, 'The truly happy man ought to stay at home,' and 'He whom the gods love dies young.' The cynical quips of Menander include: 'Hunger, and lack of coin, put a stop to love' as well as 'It's pay that teaches the lesson, not the teacher.' Every playwright in the collection confronts the finality of death: 'Hades, alone of the gods, does not enjoy bribes' (Aeschylus); 'Mankind is only a shadow and puff of wind' (Sophocles). The short fragments have the impact of Zen koans or epigrammatic quotes from the Bible; the anthology also includes longer passages that read like speeches from Shakespeare. Yet until now only students and readers of ancient Greek have had access to them. The fragments remain all but unknown to the broader reading public, even though they come from playwrights whose names rank among the most famous of all ancient figures. In Since You're Mortal..., acclaimed classicist James Romm translates these surviving fragments for a broad audience of English-language readers. Some quotes prompt 'aha' moments, others offer wit or dark humor, still others moral insight. Presented in iambic pentameter, the familiar rhythm of Shakespearean drama, this volume serves as a completely distinctive guide to living a thoughtful, virtuous life"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: A father's advice

Our life is like wine: On the human condition

Of all the gods, Eros is strongest: On love, lust, and passion

If fortune exists, there is no need of gods: On luck and chance

The mind sees and the mind hears: On using one's head

Be good to your stomach: On food, drink, and pleasure

Virtue, poor creature!: On the ethical life

Don't ask for a painless life: On troubles, griefs, and sorrows

Wealth treats us like a bad physician does: On having and not having

Here's a true friend: On loyalty

Time is a strange craftsman: On change, growth, and decay

Freedom's a word that's worth everything: On politics

You must fear old age: On longevity and decline

Hades, master of all: On death and eternity

Say something better than silence: Assorted admonitions.

ISBN:

9781324086086

1324086084

OCLC:

1535852076

Publisher Number:

90104611140