Roman Philosophy

Griffins, cyclopes, monsters, and giants - these fabulous creatures of classical mythology continue to live in the modern imagination through the vivid accounts that have come down to us from the ancient Greeks and Romans. But what if these beings were more than merely fictions? Through careful research and meticulous documentation, Adrienne Mayor convincingly shows that many of the giants and monsters of myth did have a basis in fact - in the enormous bones of long-extinct species that were once abundant in the lands of the Greeks and Romans.

Written between A.D. 413 and 426, The City of God is one of the great cornerstones in the history of Christian thought, a book which is vital to the understanding of modern Western society. Augustine originally intended it to be an apology for Christianity against the accusation that the Church was responsible for the decline of the Roman Empire, which had occurred just three years earlier. Indeed, Augustine produced a great amount of evidence to prove that paganism was responsible for this event. However, by the time the work was finished, the book had taken on a larger theme.

The remarkable range of Plato's Dialogues is vividly demonstrated by these three works. It opens with Phaedrus, a highly personal discussion between Socrates (David Rintoul) and the young, love-struck Phaedrus (Gunnar Cauthery). They go for a walk outside the walls of Athens and, under a plane tree by the banks of the Ilissus, talk about love - erotic and 'Platonic' love. Socrates endeavours to steer Phaedrus away from infatuation and show him that real love is based on concern for the beloved.

El gran filósofo griego Sócrates ha pasado a la historia como uno de los pensadores más importantes de la humanidad, y, debido a que no llegó a dominar la escritura, la gran mayoría de sus enseñanzas fueron transmitidas por su discípulo Platón.

A call to save ourselves and our planet by targeting the root of our inaction: extreme shortsightedness.

In The Republic, Socrates is asked the question: "What is justice?" And in order to answer it, he draws a long and detailed analogy between the individual and the city. Plato’s work forms the foundation of Western philosophy and covers a wide range of topics including political theory and ethics, with extended digressions into artistic and literary criticism, the theory and practice of education as well as epistemology and metaphysics.

"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 who speaks with a startling frankness about the need to accept death or even, under certain conditions, to seek it out.

This captivating history bundle includes The Roman Republic, The Roman Empire, and The Byzantine Empire.

The tradition of ancient philosophy is a long, rich, and varied one, in which a constant note is that of discussion and argument. This book introduces listeners to some ancient debates to engage with the ancient developments of some themes. Getting away from the presentation of ancient philosophy as a succession of Great Thinkers, the book gives listeners a sense of the freshness and liveliness of ancient philosophy and of its wide variety of themes and styles.

Dive into the timeless tales of gods and heroes in this bestselling A-to-Z encyclopedia detailing classic myths and legends—perfect for curious readers and academics alike. Edith Hamilton's mythology succeeds like no other book in bringing to life for the modern reader the Greek, Roman and...

“Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius is a timeless collection of philosophical reflections written by the Roman Emperor during moments of solitude and self-examination. Rooted in Stoic philosophy, the work explores themes such as self-discipline, mortality, resilience, and the pursuit of virtue amidst the burdens of leadership. This edition features the classic English translation by Meric Casaubon, whose 17th-century prose preserves the gravity, elegance, and moral clarity of the original text.

All of us are faced countless times with the challenge of persuading others, whether we're trying to win a trivial argument with a friend or convince our coworkers about an important decision. Instead of relying on untrained instinct - and often failing as a result - we'd win more arguments if we learned the timeless art of verbal persuasion, or rhetoric.

Although it was originally published in 1892, Early Greek Philosophy by John Burnet remains unquestionably one of the most respected and admired surveys of the pre-Socratics. It is an illuminating springboard into classical Greek philosophy.

Navigate the obstacles of contemporary life and find happiness by following in the footsteps of the classical tradition of Stoicism in this empowering and accessible book written by the founder of the popular The Everyday Stoic account. William Mulligan, founder of The Everyday Stoic, transforms...

The story of the Roman Republic is the greatest epic in human history. Seen in the long perspective of time, it seems too fantastic to be real. From its modest beginnings as a convenient fording place on the Tiber to its eventual destiny as the mistress of the Mediterranean, Rome offers a strange tale of fate, sacrifice, and indomitable willpower. The stern realities of war shaped its policies from the very beginning.

Monument de la philosophie stoïcienne, Les Pensées pour moi-même ont été écrites par l'empereur romain Marc Aurèle au IIe siècle, au cours d'un règne tumultueux. Conçu au fil de l'eau comme un journal intime ou une bouteille à la mer, ce texte fait partie de ces viatiques pour l'âme qui ne craignent pas le passage du temps. Au même titre que les Essais de Montaigne ou les Pensées de Pascal, il bâtit les arches d'une méditation sur notre condition humaine, construit un pont vers la connaissance de soi.

Epicurus of Samos (341-270 BCE) was the founder of the philosophical system to which he gave his name: Epicureanism. It is a label that is often misused and misunderstood today, with ‘a life of pleasure’ as the key aim misinterpreted as a life of indulgence. In fact, the philosophy of Epicurus demonstrated also by his life, was anything but! He established a school in Athens called The Garden, underpinned by his system of ethics.

Michel Foucault takes us into the first two centuries of our own era, into the Golden Age of Rome, to reveal a subtle but decisive break from the classical Greek vision of sexual pleasure. He skillfully explores the whole corpus of moral reflection among philosophers (Plutarch, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca) and physicians of the era, and uncovers an increasing mistrust of pleasure and growing anxiety over sexual activity and its consequences.

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is one of the greatest guides to human flourishing ever written, but its length and style have left many readers languishing. How to Flourish is a colloquial new translation by Susan Sauve Meyer that makes Aristotle's timeless insights about how to lead a good life more engaging and accessible than ever before.

"Singura autoritate pe care constiinta individuala nu si-o pune niciodata sau aproape niciodata la îndoiala e autoritatea morala. Capacitatea de a distinge între bine si rau, între viciu si virtute, dreptate si nedreptate pare a fi la îndemâna tuturor. În materie de etica, functionam constant printr-o nedemolabila autocomplezenta."