He brings to life the surviving fragments of timeless wisdom from the lost plays of ancient Athens. Consider sayings such as, “The truly happy man ought to stay at home,” “Hunger, and lack of coin, put a stop to love,” and “Hades, alone of the gods, does not enjoy bribes.” These and many other memorable lines from Greek dramatists like Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Menander were preserved centuries after their creation, thanks to Stobaeus—a fifth-century AD scholar who collected them to instruct his son.

Stobaeus’s anthology offers the only glimpses we have of countless lost Athenian plays: concise, eloquent verses chosen with a father’s wisdom. Some fragments spark “aha” moments, others deliver wit or dark humor, and many offer profound moral insight.

With this volume, James Romm becomes the first to translate these fragments into verse for English readers. Vividly rendered and elegantly presented, Since You are Mortal . . . is both an ancient and enduring guide to living a thoughtful, virtuous life.

He is the author of Since You're Mortal . . .: Life Lessons from the Lost Greek Plays.

 https://www.jamesromm.com/

http://www.yourlotandparcel.org

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