Bibliograph

How to give, an ancient guide to giving and receiving, Seneca ; selected, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm

Type

Label

How to give, an ancient guide to giving and receiving, Seneca ; selected, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

How to give

Nature of contents

bibliography

Responsibility statement

Seneca ; selected, translated, and introduced by James S. Romm

Sub title

an ancient guide to giving and receiving

Summary

To give and receive well may be the most human thing you can do-but it is also the closest you can come to divinity. So argues the great Roman Stoic thinker Seneca (c. 4 BCE-65 CE) in his longest and most searching moral treatise, "On Benefits" (De Beneficiis). James Romm's splendid new translation of essential selections from this work conveys the heart of Seneca's argument that generosity and gratitude are among the most important of all virtues. For Seneca, the impulse to give to others lies at the very foundation of society; without it, we are helpless creatures, worse than wild beasts. But generosity did not arise randomly or by chance. Seneca sees it as part of our desire to emulate the gods, whose creation of the earth and heavens stands as the greatest gift of all. Seneca's soaring prose captures his wonder at that gift, and expresses a profound sense of gratitude that will inspire today's readers. Complete with an enlightening introduction and the original Latin on facing pages, 'How to Give' is a timeless guide to the profound significance of true generosity

Table Of Contents

Introduction -- On benefits -- Epistle -- Notes

resource.variantTitle

Ancient guide to giving and receiving

Classification