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Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers
How to Have Willpower: An Ancient Guide to Not Giving In
Lively new translations of two classical works that offer wise advice about how to resist temptation
How to Have Willpower brings together two profound ancient meditations on how to overcome pressures that encourage us to act against our own best interests—Plutarch’s essay On Dysopia or How to Resist Pressure and Prudentius’s poetic allegory Psychomachia or How to Slay Your Demons. Challenging the idea that humans are helpless victims of vice, these works—introduced and presented in vivid, accessible new prose translations by Michael Fontaine, with the original Latin and Greek texts on facing pages—emphasize the power of personal choice and the possibility of personal growth, as they offer insights and practical advice about resisting temptation.
In the spirit of the best ancient self-help writing, Plutarch, a pagan Greek philosopher and historian, offers a set of practical recommendations and steps we can take to resist pressure and to stop saying “yes” against our better judgment. And in a delightfully different work, Prudentius, a Latin Christian poet, dramatizes the necessity to actively fight temptation through the story of an epic battle within the human soul between fierce warrior women representing our virtues and vices.
Plutarch and Prudentius insist that we allow pressure or temptations to get the best of us. But they also agree that we can do something about it. And their wisdom can help.
How to Have Willpower brings together two profound ancient meditations on how to overcome pressures that encourage us to act against our own best interests—Plutarch’s essay On Dysopia or How to Resist Pressure and Prudentius’s poetic allegory Psychomachia or How to Slay Your Demons. Challenging the idea that humans are helpless victims of vice, these works—introduced and presented in vivid, accessible new prose translations by Michael Fontaine, with the original Latin and Greek texts on facing pages—emphasize the power of personal choice and the possibility of personal growth, as they offer insights and practical advice about resisting temptation.
In the spirit of the best ancient self-help writing, Plutarch, a pagan Greek philosopher and historian, offers a set of practical recommendations and steps we can take to resist pressure and to stop saying “yes” against our better judgment. And in a delightfully different work, Prudentius, a Latin Christian poet, dramatizes the necessity to actively fight temptation through the story of an epic battle within the human soul between fierce warrior women representing our virtues and vices.
Plutarch and Prudentius insist that we allow pressure or temptations to get the best of us. But they also agree that we can do something about it. And their wisdom can help.
232 pages, Hardcover
Published August 12, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 31, 2025
Useful reflections:
1. Caving exacerbates the problem rather than solving them.
2. Silence is an effective answer to an improper request.
3. Quotes famous saying and quips to soften your refusal.
4. Employ irony as needed when offering a recommendation.
5. Regret is instantaneous, so swallow your (false) pride.
6. Use humor to decline and inappropriate request from below.
7. Guilt trip an inappropriate request from above.
8. Addicts show us what true resistance to pressure looks like.
9. Welcome criticism from bullies.
10. Memory is the best antidote to caving again.
1. Caving exacerbates the problem rather than solving them.
2. Silence is an effective answer to an improper request.
3. Quotes famous saying and quips to soften your refusal.
4. Employ irony as needed when offering a recommendation.
5. Regret is instantaneous, so swallow your (false) pride.
6. Use humor to decline and inappropriate request from below.
7. Guilt trip an inappropriate request from above.
8. Addicts show us what true resistance to pressure looks like.
9. Welcome criticism from bullies.
10. Memory is the best antidote to caving again.
September 7, 2025
This book is basically a translation of two texts, one by Plutarch and one by Prudentius, which address the issue of willpower and how to lead a good life.
I love that the majority of the advice and wisdom offered by Plutarch could be lifted directly from any modern business book on 'how not to make rubbish decisions' which just goes to show that there is literally nothing new - including self help books. This part felt very accessible to a modern audience.
The second half of the book - the poem by Prudentius wasn't as gripping as Plutarch, as he chose the allegory of a battle between Vices (e.g. Lust, Greed and Pride) against the Virtues (e.g. Chastity, Temperance and Faith). Obviously to lead a good life, you need to follow the Virtues, and this tale is a classic Good Vs. Evil with lots of blood, stabbings and broken teeth. Not quite as easy to equate with day to day temptations.
The one real niggle with this book, is the Americanisms in the translations - the most irritating was the use of the modern equivalent in dollars within the text with a footnote explaining the original text was in drachmas. Surely the text should be kept in the original and the footnote explained the modern value in USD. Then there were constant shanking of Vices and Virtues - surely the verb "stab" would be more appropriate.
Overall I enjoyed this book, and feel that at least the first half is totally applicable to modern life.
I love that the majority of the advice and wisdom offered by Plutarch could be lifted directly from any modern business book on 'how not to make rubbish decisions' which just goes to show that there is literally nothing new - including self help books. This part felt very accessible to a modern audience.
The second half of the book - the poem by Prudentius wasn't as gripping as Plutarch, as he chose the allegory of a battle between Vices (e.g. Lust, Greed and Pride) against the Virtues (e.g. Chastity, Temperance and Faith). Obviously to lead a good life, you need to follow the Virtues, and this tale is a classic Good Vs. Evil with lots of blood, stabbings and broken teeth. Not quite as easy to equate with day to day temptations.
The one real niggle with this book, is the Americanisms in the translations - the most irritating was the use of the modern equivalent in dollars within the text with a footnote explaining the original text was in drachmas. Surely the text should be kept in the original and the footnote explained the modern value in USD. Then there were constant shanking of Vices and Virtues - surely the verb "stab" would be more appropriate.
Overall I enjoyed this book, and feel that at least the first half is totally applicable to modern life.
August 19, 2025
Insightful book the first part by Plutarch much more actionable the poem by prudentius requires multiple rereads before insights can be gained at least that’s what I found
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December 1, 20255 books self help
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews