THIS book offers an account of the opinions held by the Greeks about the life of the human soul after death, and is thus intended as a contribution to the history of Greek religion. Such an undertaking has in a special measure to contend with the difficulties that face any inquiry into the religious life and thought of the Greeks. Greek religion was a natural growth, not a special foundation, and the ideas and feelings which gave it its inward tone and outward shape never received abstract...

"Psyche: The Cult of Souls and Belief in Immortality among the Greeks" by Erwin Rohde explores the ancient Greek understanding of the soul and the afterlife. Rohde delves into the cultural and religious practices surrounding death, emphasizing the significance of the psyche in Greek thought. He examines various myths, rituals, and philosophical ideas that shaped the Greeks' beliefs about immortality, illustrating how these concepts influenced their worldview. The book provides a comprehens...

First published in 2000. This is Volume VI of seven in the Library of Philosophy series on Philosophy of Religion and General Philosophy. Written around 1925, This book entitled Psyche, offers an account of the opinions held by the Greeks about the life of the human soul after death, and is thus intended as a contribution to the history of Greek religion.

Four Dissertations is a collection of four essays by the Scottish enlightenment philosopher David Hume, first published in 1757. The four essays are:The Natural History of Religion Of the Passions Of Tragedy Of the Standard of Taste Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Greek Religion . . . already has the standing of a classic, and the publication of an English version, which incorporates new material and is in effect a second edition, demands a toast . . . Anyone who pretends to survey Greek religion must be phenomenally learned. Burkert is. His book is a marvel of professional scholarship."- London Review of Books"This book has established itself as a masterpiece, packed with learning but also rich in ...

'many men compete in digging and kicking but no one at all in the pursuit of human excellence.' Diogenes the Cynic is best remembered today for having lived in a storage-jar, and walking the streets with a lamp in daylight, looking for an honest man. Such stories formed part of a rich tradition of sayings and anecdotes; his biting wit and eccentric behaviour were legendary, and it was by means of these oft-repeated and embellished aphorisms that his moral teachings were tr...

Boethius composed the De Consolatione Philosophiae in the sixth century AD whilst awaiting death under torture, condemned on a charge of treason which he protested was manifestly unjust. Though a convinced Christian, in detailing the true end of life which is the soul's knowledge of God, he consoled himself not with Christian precepts but with the tenets of Greek philosophy. This work dominated the intellectual world of the Middle Ages; writers as diverse as Thomas Aquinas, Jean d...

An anthology of Pythagorean writings ranging from four biographies of the ancient philosopher to his influential teachings."The material in this book is indispensable for anyone who wishes to understand the real spiritual roots of Western civilization." —Jacob Needleman, Professor of Philosophy, San Francisco State University, author of The Heart of PhilosophyPythagoras (fl. 500 B.C.E.), the first man to call hims...

The best-selling English translation of the mysterious and cosmic Greek poetry known as the Orphic Hymns.At the very beginnings of the Archaic Age, the great singer Orpheus taught a new religion that centered around the immortality of the human soul and its journey after death. He felt that achieving purity by avoiding meat and refraining from committing harm further promoted the pursuit of a peaceful life. Elements of the worship of Dionysus, such as shape-shiftin...

Everyone wants to live a meaningful life. Long before our own day of self-help books offering twelve-step programs and other guides to attain happiness, the philosophers of ancient Greece explored the riddle of what makes a life worth living, producing a wide variety of ideas and examples to follow. This rich tradition was recast by Diogenes Laertius into an anthology, a miscellany of maxims and anecdotes, that generations of Western readers have consulted for edification as well as entert...

Plato's Symposium, written in the early part of the 4th century BC, is set at a drinking party (symposium) attended by some of the leading intellectuals of the day, including Aristophanes, the comic dramatist, Socrates, Plato's mentor, and Alcibiades, the brilliant but (eventually) treacherous politician. Each guest gives a speech in praise of the benefits of desire and its role in the good and happy human life. At the core of the work stands Socrates' praise of philosophical desire, and a...

A powerful handbook of Stoic philosophy focused on self-control and resilience. In The Enchiridion, Epictetus teaches how to focus only on what can be controlled while accepting life's challenges with calmness and wisdom. His teachings encourage inner strength, discipline, and freedom from unnecessary fear and desire. Simple, practical, and deeply inspiring, the work remains one of the most influential introductions to Stoic philosophy. Written by Epictetus. Discover ancient wisdom for a s...