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...

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.

"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...

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.

'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...

Master your emotions. Embrace calm. Live with purpose. Written nearly two thousand years ago, The Enchiridion (or Handbook) of Epictetus offers timeless Stoic teachings that are more relevant today than ever. In a world filled with chaos, distraction, and noise, this compact guide offers clarity, calm, and the wisdom to stay unshaken. In this powerful manual, Epictetus distills essential life principles — control what you can, accept what you cannot, and choose virtue over impulse. His ins...

Covering a wide range of issues which have been overlooked in the past, including mystery, cult and philosophy, Richard Seaford explores Dionysos – one of the most studied figures of the ancient Greek gods.Popularly known as the god of wine and frenzied abandon, and an influential figure for theatre where drama originated as part of the cult of Dionysos, Seaford goes beyond the mundane and usual to explore the history and influence of this god as never before.As a volume in...