What if the most powerful man in the ancient world could teach you how to live?
Enter the mind of Augustus?the first emperor of Rome?and discover what truly makes a life worth living.
According to the historian Suetonius, Augustus wrote a personal invitation to philosophy, inspired by the famous exhortations of Aristotle and Cicero. Like those earlier works, it was lost for nearly two thousand years.
Until now.
This compelling dialogue imaginatively reconstructs that legendary text. Drawing on the wisdom of Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Cicero, Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius, it brings Augustus into conversation with his young heirs, Gaius and Lucius, as he and his courtiers teach them the most important lesson of all: how best to live.
In doing so, they confront questions that remain urgent today:
- Why study philosophy at all?
- Why do wealth, success, and pleasure fail to bring lasting happiness?
- What makes us human?
- Why do most people avoid wisdom?
- How should we think about death?
- And what makes a life worth living?
For the ancient Greeks and Romans, philosophy was not an academic subject but a way of life?offering clarity, freedom, self-mastery, and meaning.
Augustus: Invitation to Philosophy revives that lost tradition in a clear, engaging, and accessible form. Part historical reconstruction, part philosophical journey, it opens a gateway to some of the most powerful ideas ever written about how to live.
The invitation has arrived.
Will you accept it?
About the author
Dr Neel Burton FRSA is a psychiatrist and philosopher. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College at the University of Oxford and the recipient of several book prizes. His work appears in Aeon and Psychology Today, and has been translated into multiple languages.
Editorial reviews
A paean to the life of the mind. If you enjoyed the Stoic Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, you will absolutely love this book. ?Charles Mauleverer, composer
What a lovely idea, to reconstruct the emperor Augustus's lost Invitation to Philosophy. Neel Burton has done so with admirable scholarship and imagination. ?Prof Armand d'Angour, classical scholar and author of Socrates in Love
Ingenious and fascinating ... Neel Burton rivals the greats. All those who love history and philosophy should read this book. ?Readers' Favorite
As mental health and humanity face deepening crises, Neel is increasingly turning to the wisdom of the ancients for answers, bridging ancient philosophy and modern challenges. ?Plato's Academy Centre, Athens
Grab your copy now and accept the invitation to philosophy.
