How to Grieve: An Ancient Guide to the Lost Art of Consolation

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Oct 2022 · Highbridge Audio · Narrated by Gareth Richards

About this audiobook

An engaging new translation of a timeless masterpiece about coping with the death of a loved one In 45 BCE, the Roman statesman Cicero fell to pieces when his beloved daughter, Tullia, died from complications of childbirth. But from the depths of despair, Cicero fought his way back. In an effort to cope with his loss, he wrote a consolation speech-not for others, as had always been done, but for himself. And it worked. Cicero's Consolation was something new in literature, equal parts philosophy and motivational speech. Drawing on the full range of Greek philosophy and Roman history, Cicero convinced himself that death and loss are part of life, and that if others have survived them, we can, too; resilience, endurance, and fortitude are the way forward. Lost in antiquity, Cicero's Consolation was recreated in the Renaissance from hints in Cicero's other writings and the Greek and Latin consolatory tradition. The resulting masterpiece-translated here for the first time in 250 years-is infused throughout with Cicero's thought and spirit. Complete with an inviting introduction, Michael Fontaine's engaging translation makes this searching exploration of grief available to readers once again.

About the author

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) was a Roman statesman and philosopher whose lifetime coincided with the decline and fall of the Roman republic. His best-known works include On the Republic, On Duties, and Treatises on Friendship and Old Age.

Gareth Richards has been narrating audiobooks for over three years in addition to performing on stage in projects as varied from Shakespeare to sketch shows. Being a native British speaker, he is experienced in a number of different dialects from around the British Isles and Ireland.

Michael Fontaine is professor of classics at Cornell University. His books include How to Grieve, How to Tell a Joke, How to Drink, Funny Words in Plautine Comedy, and The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Comedy.