A new series of beautiful hardcover nonfiction classics with covers designed by Coralie
Bickford-Smith World-changing ideas meet eye-catching design: the best titles of the
extraordinarily successful Great Ideas series are now packaged in Coralie Bickford-Smith's
distinctive award-winning covers. Whether on a well-curated shelf or in your back pocket
these timeless works of philosophical political and psychological thought are absolute
must-haves for book collectors as well as design enthusiasts. A philosophy that saw
self-possession as the key to an existence lived in accordance with nature Stoicism called for
the restraint of animal instincts and the severing of emotional ties. These beliefs were
formulated by the Athenian followers of Zeno in the fourth century BC but it was in Seneca
that the Stoics found their most eloquent advocate. Stoicism as expressed in the Letters
helped ease pagan Rome's transition to Christianity for it upholds upright ethical ideals and
extols virtuous living as well as expressing disgust for the harsh treatment of slaves and the
inhumane slaughter witnessed in the Roman arenas. Seneca's major contribution to a seemingly
unsympathetic creed was to transform it into a powerfully moving and inspiring declaration of
the dignity of the individual mind. Robin Campbell's distinguished translation captures
Seneca's humour and concise memorable aphorisms and his introduction discusses the tensions
between Seneca's philosophy and his turbulent career as adviser to the tyrannical emperor Nero.
For more than sixty-five years Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in
the English-speaking world. With more than 1 500 titles Penguin Classics represents a global
bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust
the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished
scholars and contemporary authors as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning
translators.
