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How to Be Content

An Ancient Poet's Guide for an Age of Excess
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( 252 ratings, 40 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How to Be Content by Horace, edited by Stephen Harrison, provides an exploration into ancient philosophical musings on achieving contentment. The text combines Horace's classic Stoic insights with modern commentary, offering timeless advice on personal fulfilment and happiness. This book delivers practical guidance on living a satisfying life through the lens of ancient wisdom.
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Format: Hardback
$5499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate timeless philosophical insights into achieving a fulfilling life. Combining the ancient wisdom of Horace with Stephen Harrison's modern interpretation, it explores themes of simplicity, gratitude, and personal happiness, making it a compelling read for those interested in personal growth and mental well-being.

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What are the secrets to a contented life?

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

What are the secrets to a contented life?

One of Rome's greatest and most influential poets, Horace (65-8 BCE), has been cherished by readers for more than two thousand years not only for his wit, style, and reflections on Roman society, but also for his wisdom about how to live a good life—above all else, a life of contentment in a world of materialistic excess and personal pressures.

In How to Be Content, Stephen Harrison, a leading authority on the poet, provides fresh, contemporary translations of poems from across Horace's works that continue to offer important lessons about the good life, friendship, love, and death.

Living during the reign of Rome's first emperor, Horace drew on Greek and Roman philosophy, especially Stoicism and Epicureanism, to write poems that reflect on how to live a thoughtful and moderate life amid mindless over-consumption, how to achieve and maintain true love and friendship, and how to face disaster and death with patience and courage.

From memorable counsel on the pointlessness of worrying about the future to valuable advice about living in the moment, these poems, by the man who famously advised us to carpe diem or 'harvest the day,' continue to provide brilliant meditations on perennial human problems.

Series: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers

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  • How to Be Content
    What are the secrets to a contented life? One of Rome's greatest and most influential poets, Horace (65-8 BCE), has been cherished by readers for more than two thousand years not only for his wit, style, and reflections on Roman society, but also for his wisdom about how to live a good life—above all else, a life of contentment in...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Stephen Harrison's collaboration with Horace is praised for its delightful and insightful presentation of the ancient poet's philosophy. It provides a rich engagement with Latin literature, offering an elegant and informative dialogue with Horace's works. The translation is commended for making Horace's philosophical ideas accessible through beautifully rendered modern English excerpts.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691182520

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 20 October 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 2 b/w illus.

Contributors:

  • Edited and translated by Stephen Harrison

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 114.0mm

Height: 171.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Stephen Harrison is Professor of Latin Literature at the University of Oxford, where he is also a fellow of Corpus Christi College. His books include The Cambridge Companion to Horace. He lives in Oxford.

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