Biblexika

Epictetus — Discourses

greekGreekc. 108 CE

Recorded lectures of the freed slave turned Stoic philosopher Epictetus, covering freedom, providence, the proper use of impressions, and the philosopher's vocation

Translation: George Long (1877) (Public Domain)

Overview

The Discourses of Epictetus (c. 50-135 CE) are recorded conversations and lectures of the Stoic philosopher, compiled by his student Arrian of Nicomedia around 108 CE. Epictetus was unique among ancient philosophers in two crucial ways: he was a former slave, and his philosophy grew directly from the experience of absolute powerlessness. This biographical context gives his teaching an urgency and practicality that distinguishes it from more academic formulations of Stoicism. The Discourses represent the most direct and humanly compelling statement of Stoic ethics in the ancient world, with closer parallels to New Testament ethical teaching than almost any other ancient philosophical text.

Bible connections
  • Philippians 4:4-13 (contentment in all circumstances; joy as commanded practice)
  • Matthew 6:25-34 (freedom from anxiety about external circumstances)
  • 1 Corinthians 7:22 (inner freedom transcending legal slave/free distinction)
  • Romans 8:28 (all things working for good within a providential framework)
  • James 1:2-4 (trials producing endurance and mature character)
Key terms
eph' hemin– Greek for 'in our power' — the domain of inner choices, judgments, desires, and aversions that constitutes genuine human freedom
prohairesis– the faculty of rational choice; for Epictetus, the essential self and the only thing that is truly 'ours' and cannot be taken away
apatheia– freedom from destructive passions (not 'apathy'); the condition of the person who no longer craves what they cannot guarantee or fears what they cannot prevent
logos– divine reason that pervades and orders the universe; human rationality participates in this logos, making humans 'fragments of God'
Did you know?

Epictetus was a slave whose master, Epaphroditus, reportedly broke his leg to test whether he would cry out. Epictetus reportedly said calmly that the leg was about to break, that it had broken, and that this was what he expected. This story, whether true or legendary, perfectly illustrates his philosophical principle that we control only our inner responses.