EPICTETUS

Form: Gr. Epiktetos

A Greek philosopher, born at Hieorapolis in Phrygia. He lived a long time in Rome as a slave, in the house of Epaphroditus, a favourite of Nero. Emancipated by his master, he became a professor of the Stoical system, which he had learned from the lectures of Musonius Rufus. When the philosophers were expelled from Rome by Domitian in 94 A.D., Epictetus went to Nicopolis in Epirus, where he lived as the master of a school until the reign of Hadrian (117 A.D.) He formed numerous disciples by free conversations after the manner of Socrates. Among these was Arrianus, to whom we owe an account of Epictetus' doctrine, for the master himself left nothing in writing. The main point on which he laid stress was the independence of the human mind of all external circumstances, such being not in our power. This freedom is to be attained by patience and renunciation. The duty of man is to find all his happiness within himself, and the power of which he should be most in awe is the deity in his own breast.