Seneca the Roman
Σενέκας ο Ρωμαίος
He taught a whole empire how to live, and then, on the emperor's order, showed them how to die.
B115 minAudio
How it begins
The Boy from Spain
Το αγόρι από την Ισπανία
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was born in Corduba, a city in the south of Spain, a few years before the birth of Christ. His father was a famous teacher of public speaking, and the family was rich and respected. The boy was thin and sickly, but his mind was quick.
Ο Λεύκιος Ανναίος Σενέκας γεννήθηκε στην Κόρδοβα, μια πόλη στα νότια της Ισπανίας, λίγα χρόνια πριν από τη γέννηση του Χριστού. Ο πατέρας του ήταν ένας διάσημος δάσκαλος της ρητορικής, και η οικογένεια ήταν πλούσια και αξιοσέβαστη. Το αγόρι ήταν αδύνατο και φιλάσθενο, αλλά το μυαλό του ήταν κοφτερό.
He had the best teachers in the city, and he loved learning so much that he almost ruined his health with it. He barely ate, slept badly and read all night. His father worried and sent him to Egypt with his uncle, where he rested by the sea. All his life he was thin and short of breath, and all his life he made his weakness work for him: he learned to be patient, and to keep going when others stopped.
Είχε τους καλύτερους δασκάλους στην πόλη, και αγαπούσε τόσο πολύ τη μάθηση που σχεδόν κατέστρεψε την υγεία του με αυτήν. Σχεδόν δεν έτρωγε, κοιμόταν άσχημα και διάβαζε όλη τη νύχτα. Ο πατέρας του ανησύχησε και τον έστειλε στην Αίγυπτο με τον θείο του, όπου ξεκουράστηκε δίπλα στη θάλασσα. Σε όλη του τη ζωή ήταν αδύνατος και με δύσπνοια, και σε όλη του τη ζωή έκανε την αδυναμία του να δουλεύει γι' αυτόν: έμαθε να κάνει υπομονή και να συνεχίζει όταν οι άλλοι σταματούσαν.
Languages
- Seneca the Roman · English (original)B1 Intermediate · 1,554 words · ~15 min · Audio
- Seneca, der Römer · GermanB1 Intermediate · 1,477 words · ~10 min · Audio
- Σενέκας ο Ρωμαίος · GreekB1 Intermediate · 1,554 words · ~15 min
- Séneca el romano · SpanishB1 Intermediate · 1,503 words · ~15 min · Audio
- Sénèque le Romain · FrenchB1 Intermediate · 1,702 words · ~15 min · Audio
- रोमन सेनेका · HindiB1 Intermediate · 1,756 words · ~15 min
- Seneca sang Tokoh Romawi · IndonesianB1 Intermediate · 1,370 words · ~10 min
- Seneca il romano · ItalianB1 Intermediate · 1,545 words · ~15 min
- ローマのセネカ · JapaneseB1 Intermediate
- 로마인 세네카 · KoreanB1 Intermediate · 1,108 words · ~10 min
- Seneca de Romein · DutchB1 Intermediate · 1,607 words · ~15 min
- Seneka Rzymianin · PolishB1 Intermediate · 1,273 words · ~10 min
- Sêneca, o Romano · PortugueseB1 Intermediate · 1,501 words · ~15 min
- Seneca romanul · RomanianB1 Intermediate · 1,547 words · ~15 min
- Romalı Seneca · TurkishB1 Intermediate · 1,132 words · ~10 min
- Seneca người La Mã · VietnameseB1 Intermediate · 2,044 words · ~15 min
- 罗马人塞涅卡 · ChineseB1 Intermediate
German with English · Greek with English · English with Greek · English with Dutch · English with Polish · English with Vietnamese · Spanish with English · French with English · Hindi with English · Indonesian with English · Italian with English · Japanese with English · Korean with English · Dutch with English · Polish with English · Portuguese with English · Romanian with English · Turkish with English · Vietnamese with English · Chinese with English · English with German · English with Spanish · English with French · English with Hindi · English with Indonesian · English with Italian · English with Japanese · English with Korean · English with Portuguese · English with Romanian · English with Turkish · English with Chinese · German with Greek · German with Spanish · German with French · German with Hindi · German with Indonesian · German with Italian · German with Japanese · German with Korean · German with Dutch · German with Polish · German with Portuguese · German with Romanian · German with Turkish · German with Vietnamese · German with Chinese · Greek with German · Greek with Spanish · Greek with French · Greek with Hindi · Greek with Indonesian · Greek with Italian · Greek with Japanese · Greek with Korean · Greek with Dutch · Greek with Polish · Greek with Portuguese · Greek with Romanian · Greek with Turkish · Greek with Vietnamese · Greek with Chinese · Spanish with German · Spanish with Greek · Spanish with French · Spanish with Hindi · Spanish with Indonesian · Spanish with Italian · Spanish with Japanese · Spanish with Korean · Spanish with Dutch · Spanish with Polish · Spanish with Portuguese · Spanish with Romanian · Spanish with Turkish · Spanish with Vietnamese · Spanish with Chinese · French with German · French with Greek · French with Spanish · French with Hindi · French with Indonesian · French with Italian · French with Japanese · French with Korean · French with Dutch · French with Polish · French with Portuguese · French with Romanian · French with Turkish · French with Vietnamese · French with Chinese · Hindi with German · Hindi with Greek · Hindi with Spanish · Hindi with French · Hindi with Indonesian · Hindi with Italian · Hindi with Japanese · Hindi with Korean · Hindi with Dutch · Hindi with Polish · Hindi with Portuguese · Hindi with Romanian · Hindi with Turkish · Hindi with Vietnamese · Hindi with Chinese · Indonesian with German · Indonesian with Greek · Indonesian with Spanish · Indonesian with French · Indonesian with Hindi · Indonesian with Italian · Indonesian with Japanese · Indonesian with Korean · Indonesian with Dutch · Indonesian with Polish · Indonesian with Portuguese · Indonesian with Romanian · Indonesian with Turkish · Indonesian with Vietnamese · Indonesian with Chinese · Italian with German · Italian with Greek · Italian with Spanish · Italian with French · Italian with Hindi · Italian with Indonesian · Italian with Japanese · Italian with Korean · Italian with Dutch · Italian with Polish · Italian with Portuguese · Italian with Romanian · Italian with Turkish · Italian with Vietnamese · Italian with Chinese · Japanese with German · Japanese with Greek · Japanese with Spanish · Japanese with French · Japanese with Hindi · Japanese with Indonesian · Japanese with Italian · Japanese with Korean · Japanese with Dutch · Japanese with Polish · Japanese with Portuguese · Japanese with Romanian · Japanese with Turkish · Japanese with Vietnamese · Japanese with Chinese · Korean with German · Korean with Greek · Korean with Spanish · Korean with French · Korean with Hindi · Korean with Indonesian · Korean with Italian · Korean with Japanese · Korean with Dutch · Korean with Polish · Korean with Portuguese · Korean with Romanian · Korean with Turkish · Korean with Vietnamese · Korean with Chinese · Dutch with German · Dutch with Greek · Dutch with Spanish · Dutch with French · Dutch with Hindi · Dutch with Indonesian · Dutch with Italian · Dutch with Japanese · Dutch with Korean · Dutch with Polish · Dutch with Portuguese · Dutch with Romanian · Dutch with Turkish · Dutch with Vietnamese · Dutch with Chinese · Polish with German · Polish with Greek · Polish with Spanish · Polish with French · Polish with Hindi · Polish with Indonesian · Polish with Italian · Polish with Japanese · Polish with Korean · Polish with Dutch · Polish with Portuguese · Polish with Romanian · Polish with Turkish · Polish with Vietnamese · Polish with Chinese · Portuguese with German · Portuguese with Greek · Portuguese with Spanish · Portuguese with French · Portuguese with Hindi · Portuguese with Indonesian · Portuguese with Italian · Portuguese with Japanese · Portuguese with Korean · Portuguese with Dutch · Portuguese with Polish · Portuguese with Romanian · Portuguese with Turkish · Portuguese with Vietnamese · Portuguese with Chinese · Romanian with German · Romanian with Greek · Romanian with Spanish · Romanian with French · Romanian with Hindi · Romanian with Indonesian · Romanian with Italian · Romanian with Japanese · Romanian with Korean · Romanian with Dutch · Romanian with Polish · Romanian with Portuguese · Romanian with Turkish · Romanian with Vietnamese · Romanian with Chinese · Turkish with German · Turkish with Greek · Turkish with Spanish · Turkish with French · Turkish with Hindi · Turkish with Indonesian · Turkish with Italian · Turkish with Japanese · Turkish with Korean · Turkish with Dutch · Turkish with Polish · Turkish with Portuguese · Turkish with Romanian · Turkish with Vietnamese · Turkish with Chinese · Vietnamese with German · Vietnamese with Greek · Vietnamese with Spanish · Vietnamese with French · Vietnamese with Hindi · Vietnamese with Indonesian · Vietnamese with Italian · Vietnamese with Japanese · Vietnamese with Korean · Vietnamese with Dutch · Vietnamese with Polish · Vietnamese with Portuguese · Vietnamese with Romanian · Vietnamese with Turkish · Vietnamese with Chinese · Chinese with German · Chinese with Greek · Chinese with Spanish · Chinese with French · Chinese with Hindi · Chinese with Indonesian · Chinese with Italian · Chinese with Japanese · Chinese with Korean · Chinese with Dutch · Chinese with Polish · Chinese with Portuguese · Chinese with Romanian · Chinese with Turkish · Chinese with Vietnamese
Questions
Which languages can I read Seneca the Roman in?
English, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.
What level is it?
The original English is B1 Intermediate. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are B1 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.
How long is it?
About 1,554 words in 8 chapters: around 5–15 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.
Is it free?
Yes. Read it online with no account. The downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account.
Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?
Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.