Classical Living: Reconnecting With the Rituals for Ancient Rome

Book Description

Enhance your life using the riches of the Roman tradition. An authority on ancient Roman culture, Frances Bernstein shows you how to draw on the wisdom, history, myths and ancient prayers that were a part of everyday Roman life to achieve abundance and serenity in your own. This beautiful volume combines delectable recipes such as fava bean salad for good digestion and a healthy body with rituals such as water healing in a luxurious bath to nurture oneself and to honor the deities who rule each month. As the author illustrates, "Sexuality, fertility, nature, and spirituality were so closely interwoven in antiquity that it was difficult for the ancient pagan to imagine them apart."

From autumn's introspective thresholds and winter's purification rituals to the warm fullness of spring and the bittersweet heat of summer, Bernstein shares stories of ancient Roman practices and festivals and offers modern rituals to help you create meaningful, new traditions of your own. In January, give gifts of warm honey cake to banish darkness, instill good will, and bring about harmonious relationships. Honor Bacchus, the god of March, and Liberalia with a rustic wine tasting, and celebrate Venus, the goddess of April, with a sensuous bath brimming with floating rose petals. Remember the fate of Adonis in July with celebrations of renewal, or design a sacred landscape in your garden with fountains, bells, altars, and blossoming flowers to please the goddess Flora.

With poetry, wisdom, and historical insight, Frances Bernstein offers Roman traditions and rituals for modern spiritual practice, making Classical Living an inviting source to treasure throughout the year.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Way to begin Pagan Living.......2002-06-24

I found this book by accident and after reading it I am very glad I found it.This book is a great way for anyone wanting to start a spiritual path but are not sure how to go about it. You don't have to be Wiccan to use this book as not all Pagans are Wiccan. It gives you a brief history of the God/dess of the month,practices and prayers to do etc.A different approach to a Pagan way of life.

Reconnecting with our pagan past.......2002-04-16

It takes you on a journey back in time thousand of years ago to a place hauntingly strange yet familiar and you may find that you want to stay there or at least bring a little of it back with you. This is a beautifully written book encompassing the very essense of pagan Roman Religion and the Via Romana (Roman way). It depicts the ancient Roman culture as inclusive, diverse and deeply rooted in religion, tradition and duty. The thorough and reader friendly format revolves around the calendar, the foundation of Roman Religion, and offers up a guide to monthly observances that honor the ancient rituals and beliefs in a modern context. Highly recommended and used by the Temple as a great introduction to the Religio Romana.

A great edition to Classical Collection.......2001-06-14

I absolutely love this book. I often buy Wiccan books that reveal details about the months of the year, solar and lunar celebrations, traditions, rites and rituals, prayers, etc. This lovely book takes us to Classical times and reveals myths, celebrations, and related events of each month. It's wonderful. You can really see how so many of later Wiccan beliefs and even Christian beliefs came out of Classical Rome. If you are a Wiccan, a lover of Classical times, or even a Medieval lover, you will really enjoy Dr. Bernstein's hard work. A great edition to any collection of myths, gods, goddesses, celebrations, and rituals. Lots of nice details.

A beautiful experience you melt into.......2000-04-14

What a wonderful book to discover! I read it in one sitting and longed for a "Classical Living 2000 Calendar" to go with it, not to mention a cookbook, tour of Italy, likeminded group to share it with. Bernstein generously shares her knowledge in a sumptuous read that has inspired me on a fresh spiritual quest.

Connected with Rome.......2000-03-30

Classical Living has opened a part of Roman life that is not portrayed in history books. The calendar, festival and life cycle events make ancient Rome real and connected to living today. After reading the book, I now see how many of our contemporary holidays and celebrations have their roots in Rome. While the recipes did not always sound exactly like what Roman's prepared, I certainly can see that the were appropriate and representative of the spirit of Rome.

Average customer rating:

I loved this history.
Learning from the ruins
Delving into the life and death of an ancient city
The last decades of Pompeii - a lively account
Roman graffiti tells all!

Pompeii: The Living City
Alex Butterworth , and Ray Laurence
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Rome | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0312355858
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

The ash of Mt. Vesuvius preserves a living record of the complex and exhilarating society it instantly obliterated two thousand years ago. In this highly readable, lavishly illustrated book, Butterworth and Laurence marshall cutting-edge archaeological reconstructions and a vibrant historical tradition dating to Pliny and Tacitus; they present a richly textured portrait of a society not altogether unlike ours, composed of individuals ordinary and extraordinary who pursued commerce, politics, family and pleasure in the shadow of a killer volcano. Deeply resonant in a world still at the mercy of natural disaster, Pompeii recreates life as experienced in the city, and those frantic, awful hours in AD 79 that wiped the bustling city from the face of the earth.

Customer Reviews:

I loved this history........2007-08-31

These two authors, Mr. Butterworth and Dr. Laurence, have brought a great human story to life. Offering insights I found most mesmerizing. I especially liked some of the 'dirt', Nero's challenges, and many attempts to murdering his mother, Agrippina, his acting career, and an account of the burnign of Rome. Their description of the devastating earthquake and the all important water system and aquaducts. The suggestion of the importance of public arenas and games, not unlike modern societies. This is a great non-fiction read.

Learning from the ruins.......2006-12-19

This book takes a very close look at the buried city of Pompeii, and the type of living that went on in it prior to, and at the time of, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It goes into great detail, and even has some fictional episodes done in italics to give more of a flavor to the work. It tended to be a bit dry at times, which cost it that last star, in my estimation. On the other hand, you will learn a great deal that you didn't know about life in Pompeii, and by extension, other parts of the Roman Empire during and shortly after the time of Nero.

Delving into the life and death of an ancient city.......2006-12-14

Mention Pompeii, we tend to think of the ruins of a Roman city, and the eerie plaster casts that were made of those who had perished, the echoes of their bodies found in the ashes. Many books have the hints that the ancient Romans had it coming, the eruption of the nearby Vesuvius being a sign of divine retribution for their decadent, pleasure loving lives, and it was a view point that many later Christian writers took up with glee. Most writers focus simply on the eruption, the efforts of the inhabitants to flee, and not much more.

But authors Alex Butterworth and Ray Laurence take on a very different approach. Instead of imposing modern stereotypes onto the story of Vesuvius and Pompeii, they take a far wider and much more intimate account of the story. The tale begins a few years before the earthquake that shattered the city in 62 ce, a catastrophic event that ruined or damaged many of the buildings, and caused many inhabitants to either be killed or flee to other parts of the Empire.

But a few stay, taking advantage of low land values, and a dramatic political shift and are determined to rebuild. After all, not only was Pompeii on what is now the Bay of Naples, but it was a major port and agricultural center as well. It is an ironic fact that volcanos produce soils rich in nutrients, perfect especially for the grapes that produced the sweet wines that the Romans were so fond of. And during the first century of the common era, many thought that Vesuvius was a dormant volcano. Even Spartacus with his slave army had camped in the crater during his rebellion.

All of this I had known before reading this book. What I discovered afterwards amazed me. For Pompeii had a powerful patroness, none other than Poppaea Sabina, the wife of Nero. Possibly born and raised in Pompeii, Poppaea maintained close ties to Pompeii and the graffiti that was found etched and painted on the surviving walls mention her many times. Indeed, the authors go into great detail about the women of Pompeii, from their business dealings, lives as slaves, wives and workers; all too often, Roman women seem to be skipped over in favour of their more martial, public husbands and sons.

Interspersed throughout the book are small fictional snippets about the actual people in Pompeii. They're not too long, tiny vignettes about ordinary people, whether they are politicians, an abused slave girl seeking sanctuary, a smallholding farmer, or an overseer on an estate. Each one is vividly written and I found myself wanting to know more about each person. It was these snippets that really caught my attention and they kept the narrative fresh and creative. Not that there was a problem with the longer sections -- the authors are wise enough to gear this towards the causal reader; the story flows well for covering nearly twenty years of political turmoil and natural disasters.

Throughout the book, we're given tantilizing hints of the world of Pompeii, from the glittering surroundings of the wealthy and powerful, to the grinding misery of the slaves, graffiti and slander scrawled on the walls -- the Romans were not prudish or shy about denigrating an opponent in public -- the use of frankly sexual art that would horrify most people today, and all of the little bits of a world that was lost on a late morning in August, in the year 79 ce.

It's a great read, and I happily recommend this one for anyone interested in ancient Rome. This was a book that kept me up late at night, moving smoothly between the stories, and knowing that inevitable doom was about to hit. One aspect that I really enjoyed was that the authors bothered to put Pompeii and its story within the larger context of the Roman world, and suddenly a lot of history and ideas of their world came into focus and began to make sense.

Two inserts of black and white and colour photos are included, along with three maps showing the Roman Empire with its provinces and cities, a map of the Bay of Naples and the area around Pompeii, and finally, one of Pompeii itself. Along with the narrative, there are acknowledgements, a bibliography and index, all of which serve to tempt the reader on further discoveries for themselves about Roman archaeology.

I happily recommend this one. It's a worthy addition to anyone's library, and especially those who find the Roman world a very interesting one indeed.

The last decades of Pompeii - a lively account.......2006-12-04

This book brings Pompeii alive in way that I've only seen before in well made TV documentaries. The authors bring a depth of scholarship and imagination to this book that makes it easy to read and enjoyable. They have bought together many strands of information that has for many years languished in dusty Italian archives or only been published in Italian in obscure technical books.

This book only really covers the last 20 or so years of the cities life. It interspaces imaginative reconstructions of people's lives with the factual information on what people in the city would have lived with. We get a good overview of the reign of Nero and the impact he had on the city. (He has a deserved reputation for madness if this book is anything to go by) It also covers the great earthquake in AD63 and the impact it had on the city in the years leading up to its final destruction in AD79.

If you have any interest in Pompeii then this is a book you should read. It brings the Roman world alive. You have a distinct feeling that Pompeii was a complex city, in many ways like modern cities with its infrastructure needs - though distinctly different in its political processes and its reliance on the mass of slaves to keep things running. All said, this is a good read and if you know nothing of ancient Rome or Pompeii a good, and lively, introduction to both.

Roman graffiti tells all!.......2006-02-04

Just as you thought everything that could be said about Pompeii had been done in the multitude of books, films or TV specials, along comes this fresh and evocative account. The authors aren't content with simply analysing how the events unfolded and who reported what to the authorities and history. Instead, they use available records and artefacts to transport us in time, both literally and imaginatively to build a picture of life in the Bay of Naples city. Unlike the "standard" historian's relation of evidence and events, the authors set Pompeii within the larger context of empire. Further, they flavour their account with imaginative occasions in the lives of people who actually lived there. The book reads something like taking a newspaper to a theatre. Read a chapter, then watch actors on a stage acting out plausible background scenes.

The scene is set with the accession of the Emperor Nero in Rome. Nero had ties to Pompeii, not the least of which was that it was the native city of his mistress, and later wife, Poppaea. Pompeii, of course, had many natural advantages. Sitting below Vesuvius, which hadn't erupted in historical memory, granted it a productive environs. Volcanic soil is rich, the authors remind us. As a port city, Pompeii had an edge even on Rome. Luxury goods flowed in as farm produce and other goods went abroad or inland. Pompeii was noted for "garum", a fish paste produced in enormous quantities and many quality levels. However it smelled, and the authors cite opinions from several observers, it brought money to the city. Production and trade in this and other goods made Pompeii a lively place. Not the least of the dynamic was the role of freed slaves. Many of these captives might be manumitted solely to bring profit to aristocrats who didn't want their image tarnished by trading activities. Sponsoring a freed slave didn't remove their thrall, but bound them in new ways. The result was not only active trade, but also tumultuous politics, as the groups loyal to one sponsor clashed with that of another. Lawrence and Butterworth use a wealth of wall graffiti to depict the lively contests the city endured.

The buildup to the eruption is long and well detailed. Pompeii, though perched on the bay far south of Rome, wasn't isolated from either the capital's politics or social values. Nero's profligate lifestyle and the expanding of the Empire didn't leave the doomed city untouched. Nero's personal example might have been followed by some of the elite of the city, but it remained fairly provincial in social outlook. Sexual mores, always a titillating subject for those who first excavated and revealed the wall paintings in rich homes, was less of an issue among the hoi polloi. The rigours of Christianity's social norms had yet to take over, and Vesuvius interdicted that transformation.

There's risks in producing a book of this style. The addition of "speculative" segments, even based on detailed evidence, is likely to put off the professional historians and archaeologists. The "solid" evidence, on the other hand, is limited in scope, both chronologically and in geographic extent. Although there are accounts of background military and resulting political events, this is hardly a definitive work of the Roman Empire, even for a specific period. These apparent shortcomings, however, do not erode the value of what these authors set out to achieve. Their subtitle, "The Living City" declares their intention, and they have succeeded admirably in that task. This is an excellent account and serves as an excellent example of how to portray an ancient past and the people who lived in it. If there seems to be information lacking, the authors' excellent Bibliography provides the reader with sufficient resources to probe and examine the many and varied events that swirled about this scene of natural disaster. Perhaps the only thing truly missing is some account of the natural forces that destroyed Pompeii and its environs. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

History: Fiction or Science? Dating methods as offered by mathematical statistics. Eclipses and zodiacs. Chronology Vol.I

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? Dating methods as offered by mathematical statistics. Eclipses and zodiacs. Chronology Vol.I
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Controversial Knowledge | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 2913621074
Release Date: 2007-03-19

Product Description

History: Fiction or Science? is the most explosive tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by solid scientific data. The book is well-illustrated, contains over 446 graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays, which never cease to amaze the reader. Eminent mathematician proves that: Jesus Christ was born in 1153 and crucified in 1186 The Old Testament refers to mediaeval events. Apocalypse was written after 1486. Does this sound uncanny? This version of events is substantiated by hard facts and logic - validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources - to a greater extent than everything you may have read and heard about history before. The dominating historical discourse in its current state was essentially crafted in the XVI century from a rather contradictory jumble of sources such as innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts whose originals had vanished in the Dark Ages and the allegedly irrefutable proof offered by late mediaeval astronomers, resting upon the power of ecclesial authorities. Nearly all of its components are blatantly untrue! For some of us, it shall possibly be quite disturbing to see the magnificent edifice of classical history to turn into an ominous simulacrum brooding over the snake pit of mediaeval politics. Twice so, in fact: the first seeing the legendary millenarian dust on the ancient marble turn into a mere layer of dirt - one that meticulous unprejudiced research can eventually remove. The second, and greater, attack of unease comes with the awareness of just how many areas of human knowledge still trust the three elephants of the consensual chronology to support them. Nothing can remedy that except for an individual chronological revolution happening in the minds of a large enough number of people.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

How to Be a Roman Soldier (How to Be)
Fiona Macdonald
Manufacturer: National Geographic Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Military & Wars | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0792236165
Release Date: 2005-06-01

Average customer rating:

Pretty Good Book!

Living in Roman Times (First History)
Jane Chisholm
Manufacturer: E.D.C. Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 086020619X

Customer Reviews:

Pretty Good Book!.......2000-03-24

This book was very helpful in my research of Roman events. It had a lot of useful information. It had pretty good pictures also. I hope you guys think the same.

Ancient Rome Stencils (Ancient and Living Cultures Series)

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Ancient Rome Stencils (Ancient and Living Cultures Series)
Karen Alexander
Manufacturer: GoodYear Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 067336304X

Book Description

Children discover and explore the rich heritage of ancient cultures around the world through fascinating myths, legends, festivals, and stories of the culture. Detailed maps and vivid illustrations show how various people lived and what they accomplished. Each book in this popular series contains five easy-to-do art projects- complete with unique punch-out stencils for making many of the traditional arts and crafts still produced today. Ages 8+

Art of Living: The Classical Mannual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness (Plus)

Average customer rating:

Most helpful "self-help" book I've ever encountered!
Timeless and Crucial Reading for Those Who Care.
Outstanding book
Good Ideas Presented
Kidding Me?

Art of Living: The Classical Mannual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness (Plus)
Epictetus , and Sharon Lebell
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0061286052
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Amazon.com

"Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible." The Stoic philosopher Epictetus was born on the eastern edges of the Roman Empire in A.D. 55, but The Art of Living is still perfectly suited for any contemporary self-help or recovery program. To prove the point, this modern interpretation by Sharon Lebell casts the teachings in up-to-date language, with phrases like "power broker" and "casual sex" popping up intermittently. But the core is still the same: Epictetus keeps the focus on progress over perfection, on accomplishing what can be accomplished and abandoning unproductive worry over what cannot.

Book Description

Epictetus was born into slavery about 55 ce in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire. Once freed, he established an influential school of Stoic philosophy, stressing that human beings cannot control life, only their responses to it. By putting into practice the ninety-three witty, wise, and razor-sharp instructions that make up The Art of Living, readers learn to meet the challenges of everyday life successfully and to face life's inevitable losses and disappointments with grace.

Customer Reviews:

Most helpful "self-help" book I've ever encountered!.......2007-08-23

While some reviewers might object to the "updated" terminology of Lebell's adaptation of Epictetus' philosophy, I must say that the reason this edition is so effective is largely because the "abstract", "scholarly", "dry" language that one usually encounters (with conventional translations of Epictetus' philosophy) is here replaced with a pleasing approximation of how Epictetus himself would likely speak TODAY (assuming his native tongue were English).

IMPORTANT NOTE: Though I certainly do esteem my copy of this excellent, conventional-book edition, I must say that the alternative AUDIO edition is infinitely more powerfully effective for ME. Indeed, since discovering the AUDIOBOOK edition (an excellently judicious abridgement of this conventional-book edition) some years ago, I've found myself listening to it over and over and over, and I expect to do so for the rest of my life! I certainly can't say THAT about any other audiobook (with the possible exception of the audio edition of "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" by Dale Carnegie). If everybody would listen to that audio while commuting to/from work (and/or at bedtime or upon waking), this would likely be a kinder, saner world.

Therefore, IN ADDITION TO (or, initially, instead of) this conventional-book edition, you should absolutely purchase the "audio download" edition of this book so that you can have it as either a conventional compact disc or as MP3 files (for your iPod, MP3 player, computer, etc.). [As of this writing, you can find Amazon's "audio download" edition by first "searching" on the ISBN number of the CASSETTE edition (1574530887) and then clicking on the "Also Available" audio download edition link near the top of the page.] The price for the "audio download" edition is remarkably low; indeed, it may well amount to the greatest "self-help" bargain you'll ever encounter!

Regarding this TEXT edition, be aware that only the latest (2007) edition [ISBN: 9780061286056] includes two RECENTLY WRITTEN essays by author Lebell: "Epi-Who? How a 200-Year-Old Dead White Male Changed My Life" and "Why Would Anyone Want to Be a Stoic?". These helpful and gratifying essays (appended to the reprinted text of the prior, 1995 edition) should prove helpful/entertaining to most readers, especially newcomers to Epictetus' teachings. Oh, btw, the latest edition also features all-new cover art.

Timeless and Crucial Reading for Those Who Care........2007-04-01

The Art of Living is a great compilation of wisdom as it was once expressed by Epictetus and has been presented by Sharon Lebell. I use this book for various purposes: to read when I need inspiration; to be confronted with the simple wisdom that is captured in daily occurrences, and as material to guide my students in management courses at various levels toward enhanced acceptance, understanding, and respect for life and the living.

This book has also determined the direction of my books "The Awakened Leader: One Simple Leadership Style That Works Every Time, Everywhere," and "Spirituality in the Workplace: What it is; Why it Matters; How to Make it Work for You" (co-authored with Dr. Satinder Dhiman and dr. Richard King).

The values presented in "The Art of Living" are not merely timeless. They are crucial for our sense of humility in a world where it's all about appearances and impression establishment.

The values of this book have been richly incorporated in both, "The Awakened Leader," and "Spirituality in the Workplace," with the intention to provide contemporary readers with useful material to remain a successful member of society, while not becoming victimized by it.

Outstanding book.......2007-03-27

This is one of the most valuable books that I own. The ideas in this book are remarkably incisive and perceptive. I've always found ancient philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle to be interesting, but none other seems so directly pertinent to everyday life. Many of his ideas show interesting parallels with Buddhism too.

As far as this paraphrased edition goes, I like that too. I have read other translated versions. Yes, it is not translated to the letter but it skilfully preserves the essence and meaning. The concepts are the same. It is also a lot more readable than any other version I have seen before. If you read this and feel inspired, then go consult a more literal translation. But read this one first.

Money spent on this book will not be wasted. These ideas are worth their weight in gold.

Good Ideas Presented.......2007-01-12

I appreciate the review, "Even Watered Down Epictetus Is A Treat." This version is perhaps watered down by academic standards, even errant in its conception. I like the book immensely, however, precisely because it is geared for contemporary audiences. I like the writing style and the risks Lebell takes in interpretation. She's no fundamentalist. The words are alive for our time, not for the sake of preserving academic sawdust.

Kidding Me?.......2006-10-31

This book is sham. Epitectus' name should not be on the cover. The author essentially wrote a self-help book and put a famous philosopher's name on it to move copies. Loose translation or not, I'm pretty sure Epitectus never used the world 'silly' and I doubt the Greeks spoke of 'celebrity' often. I feel like it's unethical for an author to riff off the great work of another, and then use their fame to sell books.

That aside, the author does a mediocre job at best. I'd say 40% of the rules are the same rule, just worded differently. "You don't control what happens, just how you happen to react." Great, that's good advice, but it's pretty much cut and dried.

And no matter how this thing looks on Amazon, it's about a 100 pages...and most of the pages have no more than 2-3 sentences on them. Condense it down, you're looking at 60 pages of writing--and not a word of it directly from Epictetus.

Do yourself a favor--out of respect for a great philosopher--and buy the primary text. Don't reward this hack of an author, who wastes people's time, money and emotions.

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Britons and Romans (Living in the Past)
Haydn Middleton
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall (a Pearson Education company)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Exploring Cultural History - Living in Ancient Rome (hardcover edition) (Exploring Cultural History)

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Exploring Cultural History - Living in Ancient Rome (hardcover edition) (Exploring Cultural History)

Manufacturer: Greenhaven Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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Book Description

For centuries Rome controlled the entire Mediterranean world. This volume examines various aspects of Roman life in the words of both modern and ancient writers. Covered in a series of informative essays are houses and apartments, slaves, religious worship, marriage, roads and travel, and chariot races and other sports and games.

Living in Ancient Rome (Living in the Ancient World)

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Living in Ancient Rome (Living in the Ancient World)
Norman Bancroft Hunt
Manufacturer: Facts on File
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0816063400

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