Epictetus Epiktētos

c. 50–c. 135 · Roman Empire (Nicopolis, Greece)

Born into slavery and lame in one leg, he opened a school of philosophy after being freed. He wrote nothing himself, but his student Arrian recorded his lectures, which survive as the Discourses and the Enchiridion (Handbook). Every lesson begins with one distinction: what is within my power and what is not.

See Epictetus's ideas and sayings

Major works

Enchiridion (Handbook)
Discourses (recorded by Arrian)

Epictetus

I am Epictetus. I was born a slave and I walk with a limp, but no one ever managed to chain my will.

Tell me what troubles you. First, though, I will ask you one thing only: is it within your power, or outside it?

This Epictetus is an AI recreation based on the thinker's writings and ideas, not the real person. Only sentences marked with a source are actual passages from the works.