How to Die cover art

How to Die

An Ancient Guide to the End of Life

 Preview

Audible Standard 1-month free trial

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo + applicable tax after 30-day trial. Cancel Anytime
Try for $0.00
Compare plans

How to Die

Written by: Seneca, James S. Romm - Introduction
Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
Try for $0.00

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $11.87

Buy Now for $11.87

"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.

Introduced, edited, and translated by James S. Romm

©2018 Princeton University Press (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books Grief & Loss Personal Development Philosophy Sociology Classics Stoicism Modern Greek
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Continue the series
How to Be a Friend cover art
How to Be a Friend Written by: Marcus Tullius Cicero, and others
How to Be Free cover art
How to Be Free Written by: Epictetus, and others
How to Think about War cover art
How to Think about War Written by: Thucydides, and others
How to Keep Your Cool cover art
How to Keep Your Cool Written by: Seneca, and others
How to Think About God cover art
How to Think About God Written by: Marcus Tullius Cicero, and others
How to Be a Leader cover art
How to Be a Leader Written by: Plutarch, and others
How to Be a Bad Emperor cover art
How to Be a Bad Emperor Written by: Suetonius, and others
How to Drink cover art
How to Drink Written by: Vincent Obsopoeus, and others
How to Be Content cover art
How to Be Content Written by: Horace, and others
How to Give cover art
How to Give Written by: Seneca, and others
How to Tell a Joke cover art
How to Tell a Joke Written by: Marcus Tullius Cicero, and others
How to Keep an Open Mind cover art
How to Keep an Open Mind Written by: Sextus Empiricus, and others
How to Innovate cover art
How to Innovate Written by: Aristotle, and others
How to Stop a Conspiracy cover art
How to Stop a Conspiracy Written by: Sallust, and others
How to Tell a Story cover art
How to Tell a Story Written by: Aristotle, and others
How to Make Money cover art
How to Make Money Written by: Pliny, and others
How to Grieve cover art
How to Grieve Written by: Marcus Tullius Cicero, and others
How to Have a Life cover art
How to Have a Life Written by: Seneca, and others
How to Say No cover art
How to Say No Written by: Diogenes, and others
How to Flourish cover art
How to Flourish Written by: Aristotle, and others
All stars
Most Relevant
A compelling look into a madman. You could literally see him walking with Nero in his gardens watching people burn alive and enjoying their pain.You can see this philosophy leads to with the thousands of corpses. Absolutely fascinating.

Fascinating look into a madman

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The narration is not the best. Could have used someone with more bass in their voice.

Content

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Collation of Seneca's writing on death. There are some useful ideas though it does get somewhat repetitive.

Heavy focus on quality of life over length of life.

Would NOT reccomend reading during tough times in your life. Seneca heavily advocates rash choices.

Seneca was not a madman nor a supporter of Nero (despite being his teacher -- Nero was not a good learner).

Good summary of a stoic on death

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.