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Ancient Wisdom Gets Modern Day Twist

"Since our time is short,
let's not waste any of it expecting to live to an old age.
Even while we talk, time grudgingly moves on.
Live for today, counting on tomorrow for nothing."

(ARA) - Sounds like the latest celebrity self-help guru urging you to seize the day? Not quite - it's actually age-old advice from Horace, the Latin lyric poet and satirist — who died in 8 B.C.

"We can learn a lot from the ancients," says Marie Bolchazy, editor of a new book, Classical Considerations, Useful Wisdom from Greece and Rome. The collection features excerpts of both well-known and more obscure classical works, along with reflections on each piece by modern day essayists.

Subjects range from the serious to the lighthearted, and show how the words of the ancients have connected with contemporary understanding of the world as reflected by the book's contributors.

"The full impact of the legacy from ancient Greece and Rome is felt at a personal level only when we apply the ancient words to the meanings of our lives," says Bolchazy.

The essayists cover a wide spectrum. Contributors include the renowned classical scholars you might expect as well as a few that may surprise you such as Penn State football coach Joe Paterno; Stephen Covey, best-selling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; Roger Rosenblatt, journalist, author and essayist on the Jim Lehrer Hour; Jonathan Shay, author of Achilles in Vietnam and many more.

"Reading Classical Considerations is like watching the day's news, or hearing someone tell a great personal story while sampling at the same time tidbits, here from Aristotle, there from Vergil or other classical authors," says Bolchazy. She notes that the book was two years in the making, as she searched for the best marriage of profound passages and insightful essayists.

The book is a compelling glimpse into the core of Western humanities, presented in a way that makes the material relevant and approachable by readers who may not be familiar with the works being quoted.

The contents are divided by topic, including fate, character, war and violence, time and redemption after suffering. The classical pieces that serve as touchstones include the Odyssey by Homer, Aeneid by Vergil, Herakles by Euripides, Pro Quinctio by Cicero and De Bello Gallico by Julius Caesar.

The writing is complemented by the artwork of Thom Kapheim, which captures the essence of old and new and in itself inspires reflection on the ideas depicted.

"The ancients are both like us and not like us," says Bolchazy. "Their wisdom is available to us but we are also enlightened by contemporary reflections. The insight we gain from reading Homer can be enhanced by reading the morning newspaper and vice versa. Each informs and gives perspective to the other."

Classical Considerations will give readers a fresh perspective not only on the day's events, but also on these classical texts.

The book is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com or directly from the publisher. For more information, visit www.bolchazy.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content