M. D. Usher Knihy

Apuleius’s comic masterpiece, originally composed in the second century A.D., traces the hilarious misadventures of a young man a tad too curious about magic for his own good. Hoping to change himself into an owl, he turns himself into a donkey instead, and in this guise is sold, stolen, or otherwise shunted from one master to the next. Along the way, he sees the underbelly of the sprawling Roman Empire, with its saints and villains, its venal merchants and greedy priests, until he’s transformed back to human form via divine intervention. M. D. Usher’s creative adaptation brings the tale alive “for young readers of all ages.” Classical scholars will admire its faithfulness and its clever innovations, while new readers―young and old―will enjoy its freshness and accessibility. Motley’s lively, thoroughly contemporary drawings capture the boisterous, see-sawing plot.

The Greeks and Romans have been charged with destroying the ecosystems within which they lived. In this book, however, M. D. Usher argues rather that we can find in their lives and thought the origin of modern ideas about systems and sustainability, important topics for humans today and in the future. With chapters running the gamut of Greek and Roman experience – from the Presocratics and Plato to Roman agronomy and the Benedictine Rule – Plato's Pigs brings together unlikely bedfellows, both ancient and modern, to reveal surprising connections. Lively prose and liberal use of anecdotal detail, including an afterword about the author's own experiments with sustainable living on his sheep farm in Vermont, add a strong authorial voice. In short, this is a unique, first-of-its-kind book that is sure to be of interest to anyone working in Classics, environmental studies, philosophy, ecology, or the history of ideas.

Born in 4 b.c., Seneca lived during one of the most turbulent times in Roman history. He served as tutor and then adviser to the emperor Nero, witnessing firsthand many crimes and debaucheries. His experiences led him to turn away from public life and retreat into philosophical contemplation. A leading proponent of Stoicism, he has influenced writers and thinkers throughout the centuries. Seneca’s letters and essays are ideally suitable for intermediate- level Latin students. Written in a clear and crisp style, they are universal in scope and psychological in orientation. For this edition, M. D. Usher has arranged the selections by theme, length, and degree of difficulty. Usher also provides line-by-line notes on grammar, style, and content, and a vocabulary listing all Latin words found in the texts.