Seneca - On the Shortness of Life: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader cover art

Seneca - On the Shortness of Life: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends April 30, 2025 at 23:59 GMT.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for £7.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Seneca - On the Shortness of Life: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

By: Lucius Seneca, James Harris
Narrated by: Scott R. Smith
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£7.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends April 30, 2025 23:59 GMT. Cancel monthly.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £3.99

Buy Now for £3.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

De Brevitate Vitae (frequently referred to as On the Shortness of Life in English) is a moral essay written by Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher, to his father-in-law Paulinus. The philosopher brings up many Stoic principles on the nature of time, namely that men waste much of it in meaningless pursuits. According to the essay, nature gives man enough time to do what is really important and the individual must allot it properly. In general, time can be best used in the study of philosophy, according to Seneca.

This essay has been carefully adapted into a contemporary form.

©2016 James Harris (P)2016 James Harris
Ethics & Morality Personal Development Personal Success Philosophy Political Science Politics & Government Stoicism Classics

Listeners also enjoyed...

Letters from a Stoic cover art

What listeners say about Seneca - On the Shortness of Life: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    43
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    31
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    36
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

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

Timeless, thoughtful & quote rich

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

“They lose the day in expectation of the night, and the night in fear of the dawn.”

Any additional comments?

Recommend having a notepad on standby - to capture key points or quotes

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

Great translation. Very modern English.

Easy listening. Great translation. Very modern English. Highly recommended introduction to the works of one of the greatest philosophers of all time. Time is the theme. Life is short. This essay is worth ten modern time management books.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

Short but powerful stuff

I was put onto Seneca by a friend and really enjoyed sticking a toe in the waters of Roman philosophy!

The narrator was good, and the most important takeaway was its continued relevance in the 21st century.

The updated language really helped get the messages across.

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 narration

This was a captivating book with lots to consider, and the narrative was excellent. I highly recommend it!

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

Phenomenal

Ever fresh, ever relevant. The contemporary adaptation makes it even more accessible to the modern listener.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!