How to Die Audiobook By Seneca, James S. Romm - introduction and translation cover art

How to Die

An Ancient Guide to the End of Life

Preview

Try for $0.00
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

How to Die

By: Seneca, James S. Romm - introduction and translation
Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $9.45

Buy for $9.45

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

"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
Classics Collections Consciousness & Thought Ethics & Morality Greek & Roman Grief & Loss Philosophy Society Sociology Stoicism Inspiring Thought-Provoking Modern Greek
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about How to Die

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    129
  • 4 Stars
    39
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    110
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    121
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Short easy read

This was a powerful, short and easy read. Filled with valuable lessons. Thought provoking and reflection. I truly enjoyed this book. Would recommend and reread.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Seneca

I enjoyed perception of the story. I’ve often said that were born to die so I guess I think Seneca I didn’t know that.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Well don't and exactly what I needed to hear. This highlights many/most of Seneca's views on death, dying and suicide.

the narrator was good and the book well organized. Exactly the stoicism I needed.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Audio performance not great

The speaker’s voice sounded robotic and mispronounced the name of Seneca’s compatriots. Maybe I am wrong but I don’t think Marcia is pronounced “Mark-ia” or Lucilius as “Lu-kill-ius”.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A solid narrative performance!

Most clear intonation, although full of nuances. A true classic, both in content and execution.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent content for Stoics

I enjoyed the content and learning about Seneca writings.
The narrator however, sounds like an AI generated voice. The content fortunately is worth listening to this book.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The reading is somewhat flat.

His voice can be somewhat dull and boring at times, however it was still a good purchase.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

How to Live by Learning How to Die

How to Die is a guide on how to live and how to be free. James Romm has selected, translated, and provided context on Seneca’s works about death to help me live better and to prepare for death when it comes. I learned why I should not fear death, how not to have regrets, and how to live freely. He made Seneca’s words come alive.

I am working my way through this series of books. They are an excellent way to present different concepts in philosophy. Each book is a great way to learn about living and dying, leadership, controlling your emotions, and other ideas. They introduce me to different philosophers and point me in directions I would not have gone without such introductions.

The audible version enhanced the experience and made it easier to understand the concepts presented.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Book need more explanation but GOOD!

This book was great, but needs more in-depth explanation. Try other books to give you a further explanation of certain theories based upon the authors titles.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good advice..!

Life and death are a natural cycle for everything alive, and inevitably as life matures , decays and finally dies.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!