Lucius Annaeus Seneca, more readily known as Seneca the Younger, was born at Cordoba in the Roman province of Baetica in Hispania in approx 4 BC.Seneca attests that he was taken to Rome at a young age and educated in literature, grammar, and rhetoric; the standard education of high-born Romans. He also received philosophical training.Much of his life is not well documented but accounts do lean towards a pattern of ill-health at times. His breathing difficulties are thought to be the result of asthma and during his mid-twenties he contracted tuberculosis.He was sent to Egypt to live with his aunt, whose husband, Gaius Galerius, was Prefect of Egypt. In 31 AD he returned to Rome with her and, with her influence, was elected quaestor and with it the right to sit in the Roman Senate.Seneca's early career as a senator was successful and he was fulsomely praised for his oratory. A story related that emperor Caligula was so offended by Seneca's oratorical success that he ordered him to commit suicide. Seneca's ill-health prevented that.In 41 AD, Claudius became emperor, and Seneca was promptly cited by the new empress Messalina of adultery with Julia Livilla, the sister of Caligula and Agrippina.After trial the Senate pronounced a death sentence, which Claudius then commuted to exile. Seneca was to now spend the next eight years in Corsica. From this period of exile survive two of his earliest works-both consolations.In 49 AD Agrippina married her uncle Claudius, and through her Seneca was recalled to Rome. Agrippina appointed him, as tutor to her son, the future emperor Nero.Nero's early rule, during which he followed the advice of Seneca and Burrus, was competent. However, within a few years both Seneca and Burrus had lost their influence.In 58 AD the senator Publius Suillius Rufus made a series of public attacks on him saying that, Seneca had acquired a personal fortune of three hundred million sestertii. In response, Seneca brought a series of prosecutions for corruption against him. Suillius was dispatched into exile.After Burrus's death in 62 AD, Seneca's influence further declined. He adopted a quiet lifestyle at his country estates, concentrating on his studies and seldom visiting Rome. It was during these final few years that he composed two of his greatest works: 'Naturales Quaestiones'-an encyclopedia of the natural world; and his 'Letters to Lucilius'-which document his philosophical thoughts.In AD 65, Seneca was caught up in the aftermath of the Pisonian plot to kill Nero. Nero ordered him to kill himself. Seneca followed tradition by opening several veins in order to bleed to death. It was a sad conclusion for a man who has been called the first great Western thinker on the complex nature and role of gratitude in human relationships.

Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM, was born in Kirriemuir, Angus the ninth of ten children on May 9th, 1860. From early formative experiences, Barrie knew that he wished to follow a career as an author. His family wished otherwise and sought to persuade him to choose a profession, such as the ministry. The compromise was that he would attend university to study literature at the University of Edinburgh. He graduated with an M.A. on April 21st, 1882. His first job was as a staff journalist for the Nottingham Journal. The London editor of the St. James's Gazette "e;liked that Scotch thing"e; in Barrie's short stories about his mother's early life. They also served as the basis for his first novels. Barrie though was increasingly drawn to working in the theatre. His first play, a biography of Richard Savage, was only performed once and critically panned. Undaunted he immediately followed this with Ibsen's Ghost in 1891, a parody of Ibsen's plays Hedda Gabler and Ghosts. Barrie's third play, Walker, London, in 1892 led to an introduction to his future wife, a young actress by the name of Mary Ansell. The two became friends, and she helped his family to care for him when he fell very ill in 1893 and 1894. Barrie proposed and they were married, in Kirriemuir, on July 9th, 1894. By some accounts the relationship was unconsummated and indeed the couple had no children. The story of Peter Pan had begun to formulate when Barrie became acquainted with the Llewelyn Davis family in 1897, meeting George, Jack and baby Peter with their nanny in London's Kensington Gardens. In 1901 and 1902, Barrie had back-to-back theatre successes with Quality Street and The Admirable Crichton. The character of "e;Peter Pan"e; first appeared in The Little White Bird in 1902. This most famous and enduring of his works; Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up had its first stage performance on December 27th, 1904. Peter Pan would overshadow everything written during his career. He continued to write for the rest of his life contributing many other fine and important works. Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM, died of pneumonia on June 19th,1937 and was buried at Kirriemuir next to his parents and two of his siblings.

Henry Jones was born at Beaulieu, near Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland in 1721. His working life began when he was apprenticed to a bricklayer. Jones, however, was keen to better himself and studied hard in his private time. He fashioned some complimentary verses, addressed to the corporation of Drogheda and together with some lines 'On Mr. Pope's Death', managed to attract the attention of Lord-chief-justice Singleton, who lived at Beaulieu.In 1745 he obtained employment at the parliament house at Dublin. Jones, used the position to promote his literary talents and celebrated the arrival of Lord Chesterfield as lord-lieutenant of Ireland in a poem that was then presented to Chesterfield by Singleton. Chesterfield asked Jones to accompany him on his return to London in 1748. There, he and his friends helped Jones to publish, by subscription, 'Poems on Several Occasions' in 1749, which delivered a handsome profit for the young poet. Jones is though more noted as a dramatist and that, primarily, is due to his tragedy, 'The Earl of Essex' which he completed in 1752. Chesterfield introduced both the play and Jones to Colley Cibber, the Poet Laureate, who then introduced Jones to the manager of Covent Garden Theatre. Cibber would later attempt to secure the laureateship for Jones after his own death.'The Earl of Essex', after being revised by Chesterfield and Cibber, was premiered at Covent Garden on 21st Feb. 1753, and played for seventeen sold-out nights. It was a triumph, and was equally well received in Dublin and then later in the provinces. It brought Jones over GBP500, a large sum even by today's standards. The play was printed soon after its production, and eventually sold through four editions.The success, unfortunately, was to be the ruin of Jones. His drunken habits, indolence, raw manners, and harshly arrogant temper appalled most of his patrons who soon withdrew their support. However, he seemed adept at keeping on good terms with Chesterfield for some years longer, but at length even he gave up on the relationship when Jones borrowed money from his servant. Jones did continue to write and had made progress on a tragedy entitled 'Harold,' and, on that thin security, managed to raise money as an advance from booksellers. He was rather more successful in his revelries with the acting profession. Jones continued to be on friendly terms with many of the leading actors although in his often drunk state he would harangue the more minor actors as 'parrots', but he repaid them with puffs and panegyrics. His charm and ease with a few lines were valuable commodities.Whenever he was an inmate of sponging-houses he contrived to flatter any bailiff's daughter or wife with verses on their beauty or talents, and, in the process, secured himself more comfortable quarters than he perhaps deserved. Henry Jones died in the parish workhouse in April 1770.After his death, Reddish, the actor of Drury Lane, acquired Jones's manuscripts, which included 'Harold' and three acts of an unfinished tragedy, 'The Cave of Idra.' This was completed by Paul Hiffernan, and re-titled 'The Heroine of the Cave,' was produced for Reddish's benefit on 25th March 1774.

Euripides is rightly lauded as one of the great dramatists of all time. In his lifetime, he wrote over 90 plays and although only 18 have survived they reveal the scope and reach of his genius. Euripides is identified with many theatrical innovations that have influenced drama all the way down to modern times, especially in the representation of traditional, mythical heroes as ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. As would be expected from a life lived 2,500 years ago, details of it are few and far between. Accounts of his life, written down the ages, do exist but whether much is reliable or surmised is open to debate. Most accounts agree that he was born on Salamis Island around 480 BC, to mother Cleito and father Mnesarchus, a retailer who lived in a village near Athens. Upon the receipt of an oracle saying that his son was fated to win "e;crowns of victory"e;, Mnesarchus insisted that the boy should train for a career in athletics. However, what is clear is that athletics was not to be the way to win crowns of victory. Euripides had been lucky enough to have been born in the era as the other two masters of Greek Tragedy; Sophocles and schylus. It was in their footsteps that he was destined to follow. His first play was performed some thirteen years after the first of Socrates plays and a mere three years after schylus had written his classic The Oristria. Theatre was becoming a very important part of the Greek culture. The Dionysia, held annually, was the most important festival of theatre and second only to the fore-runner of the Olympic games, the Panathenia, held every four years, in appeal. Euripides first competed in the City Dionysia, in 455 BC, one year after the death of schylus, and, incredibly, it was not until 441 BC that he won first prize. His final competition in Athens was in 408 BC. The Bacchae and Iphigenia in Aulis were performed after his death in 405 BC and first prize was awarded posthumously. Altogether his plays won first prize only five times. Euripides was also a great lyric poet. In Medea, for example, he composed for his city, Athens, "e;the noblest of her songs of praise"e;. His lyric skills however are not just confined to individual poems: "e;A play of Euripides is a musical whole....one song echoes motifs from the preceding song, while introducing new ones."e; Much of his life and his whole career coincided with the struggle between Athens and Sparta for hegemony in Greece but he didn't live to see the final defeat of his city. Euripides fell out of favour with his fellow Athenian citizens and retired to the court of Archelaus, king of Macedon, who treated him with consideration and affection. At his death, in around 406BC, he was mourned by the king, who, refusing the request of the Athenians that his remains be carried back to the Greek city, buried him with much splendor within his own dominions. His tomb was placed at the confluence of two streams, near Arethusa in Macedonia, and a cenotaph was built to his memory on the road from Athens towards the Piraeus.

Euripides is rightly lauded as one of the great dramatists of all time. In his lifetime, he wrote over 90 plays and although only 18 have survived they reveal the scope and reach of his genius. Euripides is identified with many theatrical innovations that have influenced drama all the way down to modern times, especially in the representation of traditional, mythical heroes as ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. As would be expected from a life lived 2,500 years ago, details of it are few and far between. Accounts of his life, written down the ages, do exist but whether much is reliable or surmised is open to debate. Most accounts agree that he was born on Salamis Island around 480 BC, to mother Cleito and father Mnesarchus, a retailer who lived in a village near Athens. Upon the receipt of an oracle saying that his son was fated to win "e;crowns of victory"e;, Mnesarchus insisted that the boy should train for a career in athletics. However, what is clear is that athletics was not to be the way to win crowns of victory. Euripides had been lucky enough to have been born in the era as the other two masters of Greek Tragedy; Sophocles and schylus. It was in their footsteps that he was destined to follow. His first play was performed some thirteen years after the first of Socrates plays and a mere three years after schylus had written his classic The Oristria. Theatre was becoming a very important part of the Greek culture. The Dionysia, held annually, was the most important festival of theatre and second only to the fore-runner of the Olympic games, the Panathenia, held every four years, in appeal. Euripides first competed in the City Dionysia, in 455 BC, one year after the death of schylus, and, incredibly, it was not until 441 BC that he won first prize. His final competition in Athens was in 408 BC. The Bacchae and Iphigenia in Aulis were performed after his death in 405 BC and first prize was awarded posthumously. Altogether his plays won first prize only five times. Euripides was also a great lyric poet. In Medea, for example, he composed for his city, Athens, "e;the noblest of her songs of praise"e;. His lyric skills however are not just confined to individual poems: "e;A play of Euripides is a musical whole....one song echoes motifs from the preceding song, while introducing new ones."e; Much of his life and his whole career coincided with the struggle between Athens and Sparta for hegemony in Greece but he didn't live to see the final defeat of his city. Euripides fell out of favour with his fellow Athenian citizens and retired to the court of Archelaus, king of Macedon, who treated him with consideration and affection. At his death, in around 406BC, he was mourned by the king, who, refusing the request of the Athenians that his remains be carried back to the Greek city, buried him with much splendor within his own dominions. His tomb was placed at the confluence of two streams, near Arethusa in Macedonia, and a cenotaph was built to his memory on the road from Athens towards the Piraeus.

本书是将艾宾浩斯遗忘曲线规律应用于N3单词记忆的词汇备考书，旨在帮助考生在短期内快速、高效突破N3核心词汇，取得高分。 本书选取N3历年真题中出现的核心词汇，将词汇分为20个单元，采用乱序的方式排列，每个单元均收录不同词性的核心单词，并为考生制订十天背词计划，帮助考生科学、高效备考。 书中特别设置“返记词汇列表”板块，帮助考生及时检测记忆效果。同时，还提供了全书词条的五十音顺序索引，方便读者查找单词。 本书特别邀请日籍专业播音员录制全书音频，考生可边听边记，提高记忆效率。 本书提供配套手机背单词应用，读者可随时随地学习并能实时检测记忆效果。

热销十余年而不衰的“英语语法新思维”系列图书又添新品！《英语语法新思维——语法体系及底层逻辑全解密》是英语语法大师张满胜老师的全新力作，深度剖析语法的内在逻辑，解密语法的底层原理，旨在帮助中国的英语学习者学会用母语人的思维学英语，建立自己的语法体系。 本书分为“动词短语篇”和“从句篇”。“动词短语篇”讲解三类动词、四型谓语、五种基本句型、时态、被动语态、情态动词、虚拟语气、主谓一致和非谓语动词。“从句篇”讲解名词从句、定语从句、状语从句、名词/名词短语、介词和副词。

本书是将艾宾浩斯遗忘曲线规律应用于N1单词记忆的词汇备考书，旨在帮助考生在短期内快速、高效突破N1核心词汇，取得高分。 本书选取N1历年真题中出现的核心词汇，将词汇分为20个单元，采用乱序的方式排列，每个单元均收录不同词性的核心单词，并为考生制订十天背词计划，帮助考生科学、高效备考。 书中特别设置“返记词汇列表”板块，帮助考生及时检测记忆效果。同时，还提供了全书词条的五十音顺序索引，方便读者查找单词。 本书特别邀请日籍专业播音员录制全书音频，考生可边听边记，提高记忆效率。 本书提供配套手机背单词应用，读者可随时随地学习并能实时检测记忆效果。

本书是将艾宾浩斯遗忘曲线规律应用于N2单词记忆的词汇备考书，旨在帮助考生在短期内快速、高效突破N2核心词汇，取得高分。 本书选取N2历年真题中出现的核心词汇，将词汇分为20个单元，采用乱序的方式排列，每个单元均收录不同词性的核心单词，并为考生制订十天背词计划，帮助考生科学、高效备考。 书中特别设置“返记词汇列表”板块，帮助考生及时检测记忆效果。同时，还提供了全书词条的五十音顺序索引，方便读者查找单词。 本书特别邀请日籍专业播音员录制全书音频，考生可边听边记，提高记忆效率。 本书提供配套手机背单词应用，读者可随时随地行学习,实时检测记忆效果。

本书是将艾宾浩斯遗忘曲线规律应用于N4、N5单词记忆的词汇备考书，旨在帮助考生在短期内快速、高效突破N4、N5核心词汇，取得高分。 本书选取N4、N5历年真题中出现的核心词汇，将词汇分为20个单元，采用乱序的方式排列，每个单元均收录不同词性的核心单词，并为考生制订十天背词计划，帮助考生科学、高效备考。 书中特别设置“返记词汇列表”板块，帮助考生及时检测记忆效果。同时，还提供了全书词条的五十音顺序索引，方便读者查找单词。 本书特别邀请日籍专业播音员录制全书音频，考生可边听边记，提高记忆效率。 本书提供配套手机背单词应用，读者可随时随地学习并能实时检测记忆效果。

本书是“新日语能力考试万词对策”系列之一，专门为备考N2级或以N2级为目标的日语学习者而编写。本书列出了1546个词条，加上“同义词”“反义词”“关联词、近义词”等单词及表达方式，共计收录N2级的2500个单词。 《新日语能力考试万词对策N2级2500》汇集了日语能力考试中频繁出现、日常生活中也能派上用场的单词，并按照不同的主题，将其分成12章，每章包含5节。大家可以结合相应主题的场景来学习。单词配有英语和汉语翻译，例句配有汉语翻译，方便大家即时确认单词、例句的意思。 本书例句讲求短小精悍、口语化，方便大家背诵，同时还能增加口语积累；所有汉字都标有假名，大家在学习过程中不用担心会被断；双色印制，附红膜自测卡，每章还配有日语能力考试模拟试题。 除了便携式小本设计，本书还采用有声书的形式。大家可以通过扫描各节的二维码或者有相应单词编号的音频文件，获取单词及例句的朗读音频。随时随地，想学就学。 希望本书能够帮助大家顺利地通过N2级考试，并且成为值得大家信赖的单词书。

百万销量、日本原版大定番“新日语能力考试考前对策”系列。全文翻译，单词标调，扫码听书。200个核心汉字归类记，500个核心词汇，42次自测，6次模拟考。附赠沪江网校100元学习卡。 中国版特别添加：①例句、习题的全文翻译；②全部单词标注音调；③外教配音扫码即听。 浓缩考精华，真题命中率高！全方位助力大家考过关。 第1周到第3周彻底掌握N4级200个核心汉字，全部单词标注音调、配英汉翻译，更有反义词、特殊读音等拓展内容。 第4周到第6周彻底掌握N4级500个核心词汇，归类记忆事半功倍，词组短句现学现用，更有错误用法、注意事项等拓展内容。 每天都有超萌卡通人物陪伴学习，令人捧腹的插图对白也是很棒的学习资料哦！

百万销量、日本原版大定番“新日语能力考试考前对策”系列。例句、习题、文章、听力全翻译。外教录音，扫码听书。附赠沪江网校100元学习卡。 中国版特别添加：①例句、习题的全文翻译；②全部单词标注音调；③外教配音扫码即听。浓缩考精华，真题命中率高！全方位助力大家考过关。 第1周到第2周汉字和词汇，，全部单词标注音调、配英汉翻译，更有反义词、特殊读音等拓展内容。 第3周到第5周语法和读解，口语例句现学现用，掌握解题要，并附全文翻译。 第6周行听力（听解）练习，明确解题步骤，练习所有题型，并附全文翻译。 每天都有超萌卡通人物陪伴学习，令人捧腹的插图对白也是很棒的学习资料哦！

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本书是“新日语能力考试万词对策”系列之一，专门为备考N2级或以N2级为目标的日语学习者而编写。本书列出了1546个词条，加上“同义词”“反义词”“关联词、近义词”等单词及表达方式，共计收录N2级的2500个单词。 《新日语能力考试万词对策N2级2500》汇集了日语能力考试中频繁出现、日常生活中也能派上用场的单词，并按照不同的主题，将其分成12章，每章包含5节。大家可以结合相应主题的场景来学习。单词配有英语和汉语翻译，例句配有汉语翻译，方便大家即时确认单词、例句的意思。 本书例句讲求短小精悍、口语化，方便大家背诵，同时还能增加口语积累；所有汉字都标有假名，大家在学习过程中不用担心会被断；双色印制，附红膜自测卡，每章还配有日语能力考试模拟试题。 除了便携式小本设计，本书还采用有声书的形式。大家可以通过扫描各节的二维码或者有相应单词编号的音频文件，获取单词及例句的朗读音频。随时随地，想学就学。 希望本书能够帮助大家顺利地通过N2级考试，并且成为值得大家信赖的单词书。

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Herbert George Wells was born on September 21st, 1866 at Atlas House, 46 High Street, Bromley, Kent. He was the youngest of four siblings and his family affectionately knew him as 'Bertie'. The first few years of his childhood were spent fairly quietly, and Wells didn't display much literary interest until, in 1874, he accidentally broke his leg and was left to recover in bed, largely entertained by the library books his father regularly brought him. Through these Wells found he could escape the boredom and misery of his bed and convalescence by exploring the new worlds he encountered in these books. From these humble beginnings began a career that was, after several delays, to be seen as one of the most brilliant of modern English writers. Able to write comfortably in a number of genres he was especially applauded for his science fiction works such as The Time Machine and War of the Worlds but his forays into the social conditions of the times, with classics such as Kipps, were almost as commercially successful. His short stories are miniature masterpieces many of which bring new and incredible ideas of science fiction to the edge of present day science fact. Wells also received four nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Despite a strong and lasting second marriage his affairs with other women also brought the complications of fathering other children. His writings and work against fascism, as well as the promotion of socialism, brought him into increasing doubts with and opposition to religion. His writings on what the world could be in works, such as A Modern Utopia, are thought provoking as well as being plausible, especially when viewed from the distressing times they were written in. His diabetic condition pushed him to create what is now the largest Diabetes charity in the United Kingdom. Wells even found the time to run twice for Parliament. It was a long, distinguished and powerfully successful career by the time he died, aged 79, on August 13th, 1946.

George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, but more commonly known as just Byron was a leading English poet in the Romantic Movement along with Keats and Shelley. Byron was born on January 22nd, 1788. He was a great traveller across Europe, spending many years in Italy and much time in Greece. With his aristocratic indulgences, flamboyant style along with his debts, and a string of lovers he was the constant talk of society. In 1823 he joined the Greeks in their war of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, both helping to fund and advise on the war's conduct. It was an extraordinary adventure, even by his own standards. But, for us, it is his poetry for which he is mainly remembered even though it is difficult to see where he had time to write his works of immense beauty. But write them he did. He died on April 19th 1824 after having contracted a cold which, on the advice of his doctors, was treated with blood-letting. This cause complications and a violent fever set in. Byron died like his fellow romantics, tragically young and on some foreign field.

The life of William Shakespeare, arguably the most significant figure in the Western literary canon, is relatively unknown. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1565, possibly on the 23rd April, St. George's Day, and baptised there on 26th April. Little is known of his education and the first firm facts to his life relate to his marriage, aged 18, to Anne Hathaway, who was 26 and from the nearby village of Shottery. Anne gave birth to their first son six months later. Shakespeare's first play, The Comedy of Errors began a procession of real heavyweights that were to emanate from his pen in a career of just over twenty years in which 37 plays were written and his reputation forever established. This early skill was recognised by many and by 1594 the Lord Chamberlain's Men were performing his works. With the advantage of Shakespeare's progressive writing they rapidly became London's leading company of players, affording him more exposure and, following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, a royal patent by the new king, James I, at which point they changed their name to the King's Men. By 1598, and despite efforts to pirate his work, Shakespeare's name was well known and had become a selling point in its own right on title pages. No plays are attributed to Shakespeare after 1613, and the last few plays he wrote before this time were in collaboration with other writers, one of whom is likely to be John Fletcher who succeeded him as the house playwright for the King's Men. William Shakespeare died two months later on April 23rd, 1616, survived by his wife, two daughters and a legacy of writing that none have since yet eclipsed.