Book
1 1 | discourses of Epictetus, which he communicated~to me out of
2 1 | opinions without consideration: he had the power of~readily
3 1 | flattery; and at the same time he was most~highly venerated
4 1 | associated with him: and he had the~faculty both of
5 1 | necessary for life; and he never showed~anger or any
6 1 | also most affectionate; and he could express approbation
7 1 | without noisy~display, and he possessed much knowledge
8 1 | friend finds fault,~even if he should find fault without
9 1 | with respect to those whom he condemned,~and that his
10 1 | need to conjecture what he wished or did~not wish,
11 1 | everybody believed that he thought as he spoke, and
12 1 | believed that he thought as he spoke, and that~in all that
13 1 | spoke, and that~in all that he did he never had any bad
14 1 | that~in all that he did he never had any bad intention;
15 1 | had any bad intention; and he never showed~amazement and
16 1 | perplexed nor dejected, nor did he ever laugh~to disguise his
17 1 | on the other hand, was he ever~passionate or suspicious.
18 1 | passionate or suspicious. He was accustomed to do acts
19 1 | from all falsehood; and he~presented the appearance
20 1 | man could ever think that he was despised by Maximus,
21 1 | think himself a better man. He had also the art of being~
22 1 | resolution in the things which he had determined after due~
23 1 | remission. And I observed that he had overcome all passion
24 1 | all passion for~boys; and he considered himself no more
25 1 | than any other citizen; and he~released his friends from
26 1 | attend him of necessity when he went abroad, and those who
27 1 | his persistency, and that he never~stopped his investigation
28 1 | to endure the blame~which he got for such conduct; and
29 1 | got for such conduct; and he was neither superstitious
30 1 | respect to the gods, nor did he court men by gifts or by
31 1 | flattering the populace; but he showed sobriety~in all things
32 1 | gives an abundant supply, he~used without arrogance and
33 1 | excusing himself; so that when he~had them, he enjoyed them
34 1 | so that when he~had them, he enjoyed them without affectation,
35 1 | without affectation, and when he had them~not, he did not
36 1 | and when he had them~not, he did not want them. No one
37 1 | could ever say of him that he was~either a sophist or
38 1 | s affairs. Besides~this, he honoured those who were
39 1 | were true philosophers, and he did not~reproach those who
40 1 | philosophers, nor yet was he easily~led by them. He was
41 1 | was he easily~led by them. He was also easy in conversation,
42 1 | easy in conversation, and he made himself~agreeable without
43 1 | any offensive affectation. He took a reasonable care~of
44 1 | through his own attention, he very seldom stood in need
45 1 | or external applications. He was~most ready to give way
46 1 | or of anything else; and he gave them his help, that~
47 1 | according to his deserts; and he always~acted conformably
48 1 | affectation of doing so. Further, he was not fond of~change nor
49 1 | change nor unsteady, but he loved to stay in the same
50 1 | his paroxysms of~headache he came immediately fresh and
51 1 | about public matters; and he showed prudence and economy
52 1 | and in such things, for he was~a man who looked to
53 1 | is got by a man's acts. He did not take the bath at
54 1 | bath at unseasonable~hours; he was not fond of building
55 1 | nor curious about what he~ate, nor about the texture
56 1 | Lanuvium generally. We know how he behaved to the~toll-collector
57 1 | the sweating~point; but he examined all things severally,
58 1 | things severally, as if he had abundance of~time, and
59 1 | recorded of~Socrates, that he was able both to abstain
60 1 | invincible soul, such as he showed in the illness of
61 2 | which if a man lays hold of, he is able to live a life which
62 2 | committed through~anger. For he who is excited by anger
63 2 | unconscious contraction; but he who offends~through desire,
64 2 | way worthy of philosophy, he said that the offence which
65 2 | to the imagination~in it, he will then consider it to
66 2 | an operation of nature, he is a~child. This, however,
67 2 | other life than this which he now lives, nor lives any
68 2 | any other than this~which he now loses. The longest and
69 2 | that the longest liver and he who will die soonest lose
70 2 | is the only thing which he has, and that a man~cannot
71 2 | man~cannot lose a thing if he has it not.~ Remember that
72 2 | wherever it is, from whence he himself came;~and, finally,
73 3 | divine and the human.~For if he shall begin to fall into
74 3 | to give pleasure. And so he will see even the~real gaping
75 3 | old woman and an~old man he will be able to see a certain
76 3 | loveliness of young persons he will be able to look~on
77 3 | doing,~and why, and what is he saying, and what is he thinking
78 3 | is he saying, and what is he thinking of, and what~is
79 3 | thinking of, and what~is he contriving, and whatever
80 3 | belongs to himself that he~makes the matter for his
81 3 | matter for his activity; and he constantly thinks of that~
82 3 | sum total of things, and he~makes his own acts fair,
83 3 | makes his own acts fair, and he is persuaded that his own
84 3 | carries him along with it. And he remembers also that~every
85 3 | to those who live not so, he always bears in mind~what
86 3 | impure~life. Accordingly, he does not value at all the
87 3 | walls and curtains: for he who has preferred to everything~
88 3 | and, what is chief of all, he will live without either~
89 3 | longer or a shorter~time he shall have the soul inclosed
90 3 | soul inclosed in the body, he cares not at all:~for even
91 3 | not at all:~for even if he must depart immediately,
92 3 | must depart immediately, he will go as readily as if
93 3 | will go as readily as if he~were going to do anything
94 3 | nook of the earth where he lives; and short too~the
95 3 | men refuse to believe that he lives a simple,~modest,
96 3 | modest, and contented life, he is neither angry with any
97 3 | with any of them,~nor does he deviate from the way which
98 4 | soul, particularly when he~has within him such thoughts
99 4 | that by looking into them he is~immediately in perfect
100 4 | man will not have it so, he will~not allow the fig-tree
101 4 | short time both thou and he will be dead; and~soon not
102 4 | not make a man worse than he was, also does not make~
103 4 | an opinion of things as he has who does thee wrong,~
104 4 | does thee wrong,~or such as he wishes thee to have, but
105 4 | good.~ How much trouble he avoids who does not look
106 4 | thinks, but only to what he does himself,~that it may
107 4 | without~deviating from it.~ He who has a vehement desire
108 4 | if a man takes this away, he will have~more leisure and
109 4 | wrong? It is~to himself that he does the wrong. Has anything
110 4 | fraudulent, tyrannical.~ If he is a stranger to the universe
111 4 | what is in it,~no less is he a stranger who does not
112 4 | what is going on in it.~He is a runaway, who flies
113 4 | flies from social reason; he is blind, who~shuts the
114 4 | eyes of the understanding; he is poor, who has need of~
115 4 | which are useful for~life. He is an abscess on the universe
116 4 | and has produced thee too: he is a piece rent asunder~
117 4 | naked: Bread I have not, he says, and I~abide by reason.-
118 4 | his whole soul all that he has, making~thyself neither
119 5 | dulness.~ One man, when he has done a service to another,
120 5 | but still in his own mind he thinks of the man as his
121 5 | the man as his debtor,~and he knows what he has done.
122 5 | debtor,~and he knows what he has done. A third in a manner
123 5 | does not even~know what he has done, but he is like
124 5 | know what he has done, but he is like a vine which has
125 5 | proper fruit. As a horse when he has run, a dog when he has
126 5 | when he has run, a dog when he has tracked~the game, a
127 5 | the honey, so a man when he has done~a good act, does
128 5 | others to come and see, but he goes~on to another act,
129 5 | animal to perceive that he is working~in a social manner,
130 5 | means something like this: he prescribed this for this~
131 5 | Zeus (the universe).~For he would not have brought on
132 5 | brought on any man what he has brought, if it~were
133 5 | temperance, justice,~fortitude, he would not after having first
134 5 | to the many to be good, he will listen and readily
135 5 | might be~aptly applied- that he who has them, through pure
136 5 | of praise who showed that he did not want these things,
137 5 | these things, nor~would he who stinted himself in any
138 5 | like them, or even when he is~deprived of any of them,
139 5 | them, the more patiently he endures the loss,~just in
140 5 | just in the same degree he is a better man.~ Such as
141 5 | where a man can live, there he can also live well. But
142 5 | can also live well. But he must live in~a palace;-
143 5 | in~a palace;- well then, he can also live well in a
144 5 | happens to any man which he is not formed by nature
145 5 | another, and either because he does not~see that they have
146 5 | have happened or because he would show a great spirit
147 5 | would show a great spirit he~is firm and remains unharmed.
148 5 | things disappear. How then is he~not a fool who is puffed
149 5 | wrong? Let him look to it. He has his own~disposition,
150 5 | Live with the gods. And he does live with the gods
151 5 | will this danger do thee? He has~such a mouth, he has
152 5 | thee? He has~such a mouth, he has such arm-pits: it is
153 5 | reason, it will~be said, and he is able, if he takes pain,
154 5 | said, and he is able, if he takes pain, to discover
155 5 | pain, to discover wherein he~offends- I wish thee well
156 5 | error, admonish him. For if he listens, thou wilt cure
157 5 | But as~the old man, when he went away, asked back his
158 6 | a number of~slaves. But he who values rational soul,
159 6 | this; and above all~things he keeps his soul in a condition
160 6 | reason and social life, and he co-operates to this end
161 6 | and~the horse-breaker, and he who trains the dog, seek
162 6 | these things; and besides, he must often find fault~with
163 6 | man was ever injured. But he is injured who abides in
164 6 | understand things; and how he would never let anything
165 6 | clearly understood it; and~how he bore with those who blamed
166 6 | blaming them in~return; how he did nothing in a hurry;
167 6 | nothing in a hurry; and how he listened not to~calumnies,
168 6 | examiner of manners and actions he was;~and not given to reproach
169 6 | sophist; and with how little he was satisfied, such as lodging,
170 6 | laborious and patient; and how he was~able on account of his
171 6 | his friendships; and~how he tolerated freedom of speech
172 6 | opinions; and the pleasure that he had when any man showed
173 6 | better; and how religious he was without superstition.~
174 6 | thy last hour comes, as he had.~ Return to thy sober
175 6 | opinion of the~source of all.~ He who has seen present things
176 6 | been made, is well, and yet he who made it is not there.
177 6 | thou placest thyself; for he who rules~all things will
178 6 | a right use of thee, and he will~receive thee among
179 6 | moved are accomplished.~ He who loves fame considers
180 6 | to be his own~good; and he who loves pleasure, his
181 6 | his own sensations; but he who has~understanding, considers
182 6 | the health of those whom he attends?~ How many together
183 7 | things are worth about which he busies~himself.~ In discourse
184 7 | has done thee no harm, for he has not made thy ruling
185 7 | opinion about good or evil he has done wrong. For when
186 7 | same thing to be good that he~does or another thing of
187 7 | great? it is not possible, he said.-~Such a man then will
188 7 | to this only in all that he does, whether~he is doing
189 7 | all that he does, whether~he is doing what is just or
190 7 | commander, there in my opinion he ought to stay and to abide
191 7 | the next inquiry being how he may best live the~time that
192 7 | best live the~time that he has to live.~ Look round
193 7 | fine saying of Plato: That he who is discoursing about
194 7 | at earthly things as if he viewed them from some~higher
195 7 | casting his opponent; but he is not~more social, nor
196 7 | endurance, and that when he was bid to~arrest Leon of
197 7 | arrest Leon of Salamis, he considered it more noble
198 7 | noble to refuse, and~that he walked in a swaggering way
199 7 | Socrates possessed, and if he~was able to be content with
200 8 | shall a man do this? If~he has principles from which
201 8 | ignominy, death and life, he has such and such opinions,
202 8 | wonderful or strange to me, if he does such and such~things;
203 8 | shall bear in mind that he is compelled to do so.~
204 8 | and to every man, whoever he may be,~appropriately, not
205 8 | make~himself, as far as he can, who is not content
206 8 | consider the~kindness by which he has distinguished man, for
207 8 | has distinguished man, for he has put it in his~power
208 8 | the universal; and when he has~been separated, he has
209 8 | when he has~been separated, he has allowed him to return
210 8 | life contentedly, just~as he dies who is in full activity,
211 8 | nothing more secure to which he can~fly for, refuge and
212 8 | future be inexpugnable. He then who has~not seen this
213 8 | is an ignorant man; but he who has seen it and does~
214 8 | sick. I do see; but that he is in danger, I do not see.
215 8 | up~potable water; and if he should cast clay into it
216 8 | simplicity and modesty.~ He who does not know what the
217 8 | is, does not know where he is.~And he who does not
218 8 | not know where he is.~And he who does not know for what
219 8 | exists, does not~know who he is, nor what the world is.
220 8 | nor what the world is. But he who has failed in any~one
221 8 | even say for what purpose he exists~himself. What then
222 8 | of nearly everything~that he does?~ No longer let thy
223 8 | released from it, as~soon as he shall choose.~ To my own
224 8 | of~a thing a ray is, if he looks at the sun's light
225 8 | if it does not~admit it.~ He who fears death either fears
226 9 | BOOK NINE~ ~ HE WHO acts unjustly acts impiously.
227 9 | way to injure one~another, he who transgresses her will,
228 9 | the highest divinity. And he too who lies is guilty of
229 9 | all things that are true. He then who~lies intentionally
230 9 | guilty of impiety inasmuch as he acts unjustly~by deceiving;
231 9 | unjustly~by deceiving; and he also who lies unintentionally,
232 9 | unintentionally, inasmuch as he~is at variance with the
233 9 | nature, and inasmuch as he~disturbs the order by fighting
234 9 | nature of the world; for he~fights against it, who is
235 9 | is contrary~to truth, for he had received powers from
236 9 | through the neglect~of which he is not able now to distinguish
237 9 | falsehood from truth. And~indeed he who pursues pleasure as
238 9 | cause pain. And further, he who is afraid of pain will
239 9 | even this is impiety. And he who pursues pleasure will
240 9 | should forget myself.~ He who does wrong does wrong
241 9 | does wrong against himself. He who acts unjustly~acts unjustly
242 9 | unjustly to himself, because he makes himself bad.~ He often
243 9 | because he makes himself bad.~ He often acts unjustly who
244 9 | certain thing; not only~he who does a certain thing.~
245 9 | thou mayest know whether he~has acted ignorantly or
246 9 | wave and their rapidity, he will despise everything
247 9 | very soon perish too. And he who~dies at the extremest
248 9 | is his own. But perhaps he has~not done wrong.~ Either
249 9 | bodily sufferings, nor, says he, did I talk on such subjects
250 9 | proper good. Nor did I, he~says, give the physicians
251 9 | Do, then, the same that he did both in sickness, if
252 9 | that it was likely that he would~commit this error,
253 9 | forgotten and art amazed that~he has erred. But most of all
254 9 | acts of~benevolence, when he has done anything benevolent
255 9 | to the common interest, he has acted conformably to~
256 9 | to~his constitution, and he gets what is his own.~
257 10| a fly, and another when he~has caught a poor hare,
258 10| poor hare, and another when he has taken a little fish
259 10| a net, and another when he has taken wild boars, and
260 10| boars, and another when he~has taken bears, and another
261 10| bears, and another when he has taken Sarmatians. Are
262 10| put off the body, and as he sees that he~must, no one
263 10| body, and as he sees that he~must, no one knows how soon,
264 10| and leave~everything here, he gives himself up entirely
265 10| everything else that happens he resigns himself to the~universal
266 10| about~him or do against him, he never even thinks of it,
267 10| with acting justly in what he now~does, and being satisfied
268 10| now assigned to him; and he~lays aside all distracting
269 10| failure be in attempting this. He who~follows reason in all
270 10| back what thou~wilt. And he says this not proudly, but
271 10| lives there or~here, if he lives everywhere in the
272 10| move together~with it?~ He who flies from his master
273 10| but the law is master,~and he who breaks the law is a
274 10| the law is a runaway. And he also who is grieved~or angry
275 10| who rules all~things, and he is Law, and assigns to every
276 10| to every man what is fit. He then~who fears or is grieved
277 10| Like this pig also is he who on his bed in silence
278 10| compelled: for what else could he do? or, if thou art able,
279 10| in thy power. For who is he that shall hinder thee from~
280 10| any kind; for if they did, he who felt it would immediately~
281 10| precept, to remind him that he~should be free from grief
282 10| shall not be by him when~he is dying some who are pleased
283 10| to happen. Suppose~that he was a good and wise man,
284 10| schoolmaster? It is true that he was harsh to none of us,
285 10| us, but I~perceived that he tacitly condemns us.- This
286 11| anything more, but in a manner he who is~forty years old,
287 11| who is~forty years old, if he has any understanding at
288 11| also. So too a man when he is separated from~another
289 11| from his neighbour when he hates him and turns away
290 11| turns away from~him, and he does not know that he has
291 11| and he does not know that he has at the same time cut
292 11| whole social system. Yet he has this privilege certainly
293 11| great~Phocion, unless indeed he only assumed it. For the
294 11| unsound and insincere is he who says, I have determined
295 11| as a man's~character is, he immediately shows it in
296 11| it in his eyes, just as he who is~beloved forthwith
297 11| the bystander as soon as he comes near him must~smell
298 11| near him must~smell whether he choose or not. But the affectation
299 11| errors at the very time when~he is trying to do thee harm,
300 11| that even~bees do not do as he does, nor any animals which
301 11| admire, but either when he is alone, and if~others
302 11| are they more manly; and he~who possesses these qualities
303 11| weakness, so~also is anger. For he who yields to pain and he
304 11| he who yields to pain and he who yields to anger,~both
305 11| do~wrong is madness, for he who expects this desires
306 11| prior~to acts of justice.~ He who has not one and always
307 11| social) and political. For he who directs~all his own
308 11| a man Socrates was when he dressed himself in a~skin,
309 11| a madman's act: such is he who~looks for his child
310 11| his child, said Epictetus, he should whisper to~himself, "
311 11| respect to his movements he~must be careful that they
312 11| and as to sensual desire, he should altogether~keep away
313 11| to avoidance (aversion) he should not show~it with
314 11| power.~ The dispute then, he said, is not about any common
315 12| intellectual~part alone he touches the intelligence
316 12| of thy much trouble. For~he who regards not the poor
317 12| to design nothing which he would not express as soon
318 12| would not express as soon as he~conceived it, he could not
319 12| soon as he~conceived it, he could not endure it even
320 12| soul a man should be~when he is overtaken by death; and
321 12| lets fall the~sword which he uses and is killed; but
322 12| ridiculous and what a stranger he is who is surprised at~anything
323 12| wrongful act? And even if he has~done wrong, how do I
324 12| wrong, how do I know that he has not condemned himself?
325 12| own face. Consider that he, who would not~have the
326 12| because it has ceased; nor he who has~done this act, does
327 12| has~done this act, does he suffer any evil for this
328 12| that it has ceased; nor he who has terminated~this
329 12| at the proper time, has he been ill dealt with. But
330 12| universal.~For thus too he is moved by the deity who
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