Epictetus (55 – 135 AD) is one of the most famous Roman-era Stoic philosophers whose teachings have survived the test of time. But his full story makes it even more interesting. Read on to see how he went from being a slave to the influencer of the Emperor. He started his life as a slave and came from Hierapolis, which is modern-day Turkey. Epaphroditus acquired him, this is also what the name Epictetus translates to; acquired or obtained. His real name was unknown, or perhaps there was none. Even the exact dates of his birth and death are uncertain.
His early years he spent during the reign of Emperor Nero, of whom Epaphroditus, Epictetus’s master, was a secretary. His master was so close to Nero, that it was Ephaproditus who assisted the Emperor in his suicide. He had to pay the price for helping his Emperor meet his lot. Nero’s successor, Domitian, ordered Epaphroditus to be executed. This happened somewhere between 68 AD and 90 AD. In that same period, Epictetus became a freedman. Whether it was his master who set him free or because of his death, is uncertain. But it wasn’t uncommon in those times for slaves to get their freedom and even prosper.
Becoming a Stoic
Not only was Epictetus a slave, but he was also crippled or lame, at least on one leg. There is a story that his master did this to him in a fit of rage. During this moment of insanity, Epaphroditus ended up twisting his leg. The account goes that Epictetus remained rather calm and told his master: “You will break my leg.” This did not stop the enraged man and after his leg was broken, Epictetus said: “I told you so.” Whether this happened or whether Epictetus was lame from other causes we don’t know for sure. But some say that his master felt guilty about what happened and that’s why he was allowed to study under Musonius Rufus.
Whatever the true reason was, Epictetus ended up under the tutelage of Musonius Rufus. It was nothing strange for slaves to study different skills, such as philosophy. Epictetus made such an impression that he got to study under the most famous Stoic teacher of his time. Some of Rufus’s texts still survive as well. This is where his Stoic journey began and Rufus had a big influence on him. We can see his teacher being referenced several times in the discourses.
Epictetus the Teacher
After Epictetus obtained his freedom, he started his own Stoic school in Rome. Which soon gained in popularity. But during the reign of Emperor Domitian in 89 AD, he, and all other philosophers, were exiled. Some were even executed. The Stoic philosophers were a big target of these policies. Epictetus moved to Nicopolis in Greece, where we founded a new school. People went there from all different places and even when he was allowed to return to Rome, Epictetus stayed in Greece.
Most of the Stoic texts have been lost. An estimate goes that 1% survived. The most famous ones that are still with us today come from Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus. We can also learn a lot about Stoicism from Cicero, but he leaned more towards the Academics instead of Stoicism. Of the three Stoics mentioned before, Epictetus was the only teacher. Seneca was a politician, orator, and writer who practiced Stoicism. Marcus Aurelius was the Emperor, who used Stoicism to become one of the greatest emperors Rome had ever seen.
The Notes of a Student
Yet, Epictetus never wrote anything himself. What we can read now are notes taken by one of his students, Arrian of Nicomedia. Arrian is believed to have written eight books of the discourses of Epictetus, of which four survive now. He also left us with his handbook, the Enchiridion. A condensed version of the teachings for easier reference. These teachings would have been part of the more informal sessions in the school. Most of them deal with Epictetus talking about specific topics or answering questions from visitors. There would also have been a more formal aspect of his school, dealing with the Stoic ideas of Ethics, Logic, and Physics.
Epictetus brought Stoicism back to the more orthodox ideas of Zeno and the Cynics, of which Stoicism was derived for a large part. He lived a very quiet and ascetic life. It was said of his home that he could leave the door open since there was nothing to steal. Close to the end of his life, Epictetus adopted a boy and took in a woman to take care of him. Some think that he did this because he believed, like his teacher Musonios Rufus, that family was the cornerstone of civilization. To stay true to his beliefs, he adopted a son.
Link to Marcus Aurelius
His student Arrian, who wrote the discourses and the handbook, was an important person in the Roman Empire. He served in the army, as a high-ranking officer in Capadoccia, Turkey. He is believed to have met with Junius Rusticus, who became the tutor of Marcus Aurelius. In book one of his Meditations, Marcus Aurelius thanks Junius Rustics for introducing him to Epictetus.
“And for introducing me to Epictetus’s lectures – and loaning me his own copy.”
Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations, Book 1.7
Marcus Aurelius (161 – 180 AD) would have been somewhere in his teens during the death of Epictetus, so they would not have met. From this quote above we can be pretty certain of that. But their bond shows the equalizing power of philosophy. Where a former slave can become the inspiration and tutor of the Emperor of the Roman Empire.
The Teachings of Epictetus
In the discourses and the handbook, we can get a good idea of how Epictetus looked at life and Stoicism. He gives us one of the most important aspects of this philosophy: the dichotomy of control. Arrian thinks it to be so important that he starts his handbook with it. Besides that, we can see that Epictetus is to the point and uses a Socratic method of questioning to lead his visitors to the right path. We can also see him referencing god or the gods a lot. But this concept rings different in the mind of a Stoic. In Stoicism, god is the Rational Universe from which we have our reason and logic. You can read more about it here, or listen to episode 13 of Street Stoics: What is the Stoic God?
We need the teachings of Epictetus today more than ever. This also shows us the timeless power of Stoicism. The discourses provide us with all the moral guidelines to live a better and more peaceful life. On this website, you can find a summary and interpretation of the discourses. This work in progress will expand over time and you can go there by clicking here. If you want to read some famous quotes by Epictetus, then click here.
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