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Letters from a Stoic

Penguin Classics

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Letters from a Stoic

By: Seneca, Robin Campbell
Narrated by: Julian Glover
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Julian Glover, Olivier Award winning actor, also known for his roles in Game of Thrones and Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. This definitive recording includes an Introduction by Robin Campbell.


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 (c. 4 BC- AD 65) 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 slaughters 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.

Public Domain (P)2019 Penguin Audio Ethics & Morality Greek & Roman History Letters & Correspondence Memoirs, Diaries & Correspondence Philosophy Stoicism Classics
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I love the narrator. Would be great if he did more stoic titles. It's like hearing from Seneca himself

The narrator adds to the substance

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I'm all in on this Stoicism train. The narrator was brilliant in this made you think it was spoken from Seneca himself!

So much value to be taken from this book. I found it very helpful to also do The Daily Stoic taking notes each day and having this on in the car at the same time for a double dose.

Now for Mediations and Discourses!

Loved It and narration was brilliant!

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Perfect delivery for a perfect book: Seneca was quite literally the most perfect of stoics and this book will tell you how and why.

The Most Honourable and Virtuous to have lived

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A classic now available in audible it’s a real treat and full of insights into was it was like to live 2000 years ago in the Roman Empire.

Works so well as audible

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I was kept entertained by Julian Glover's narration, the emotion and story telling in his voice made the letters so much more immersive, thank you!

narrator 10/10

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Yeah so it's a useful classic etc etc hooray for Seneca.
What they don't tell you is the bloke narrating played Aragog, Maester Pycelle, the bloke in the white suit in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
.and an Imperial officer from Star Wars (the guy who wrecks rebel shield generator on Hoth).
Throws you right off.

Read by Aragog

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Takes you back 2000 years and grants you wisdom on top of that. Unbeatable experience.

Time Machine

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I simply could not get past the delivery and had to abandon it.
I should have listened to the sample first.

Narrators voice hard to take

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