The Discourses of Epictetus Epictetus - The books did not have a formal title in ancient times. Although Simplicius called them Diatribai other writers gave them titles such as Dialexis , and Homiliai . The modern name comes from the titles given in the earliest medieval manuscript: "Arrian's Diatribai of Epictetus" . The Greek word Diatribai literally means "informal talks".As to the date, it is generally agreed that the Discourses were composed sometime in the years around 108 AD. Epictetus himself refers to the coins of Trajan, which shows he was teaching during that reign. Arrian was suffect consul in around 130, and since forty-two was the standard age for that position, he would have been at the right age of around twenty in 108. Furthermore the "commissioner" of the "free cities" to whom Discourse iii. 7 is addressed is thought to be the same man Pliny the Younger addresses his Letter viii. 24a letter which has been dated to around 108.

Contains The Discourses/Fragments/Enchiridion 'I must die. But must I die bawling?' Epictetus, a Greek Stoic and freed slave, ran a thriving philosophy school in Nicopolis in the early second century AD. His animated discussions were celebrated for their rhetorical wizardry and were written down by Arrian, his most famous pupil. The Discourses argue that happiness lies in learning to perceive exactly what is in our power to change and what is not, and in embracing our fate to live in harmony with god and nature. In this personal, practical guide to the ethics of Stoicism and moral self-improvement, Epictetus tackles questions of freedom and imprisonment, illness and fear, family, friendship and love. Translated and Edited with an Introduction by Robert Dobbin

No writings of Epictetus himself are really known. His discourses were transcribed and compiled by his pupil Arrian (author of the Anabasis Alexandri). The main work is The Discourses, four books of which have been preserved (out of an original eight). Arrian also compiled a popular digest, entitled the Enchiridion, or Handbook. In a preface to the Discourses, addressed to Lucius Gellius, Arrian states that "whatever I heard him say I used to write down, word for word, as best I could, endeavouring to preserve it as a memorial, for my own future use, of his way of thinking and the frankness of his speech."

Description: The new Stoic Classics edition consists of the collection of works recorded by Arrian the pupil of the great stoic philosopher Epictetus. It includes his full works of The Enchiridion, and Fragments. Epictetus rose to become one of the most important Stoic philosophers, but the path to arrive at this accomplishment was fraught with difficulty. Born a slave he managed to start his school and teach classes which would become the basis of the Enchiridion. The word "encheiridion" is an adjective meaning "in the hand" or "ready to hand". The English translations of the texts are also known by the title Manual or Handbook. Enchiridion is, being one of the canonical texts of Stoic philosophy, and one of the most important ancient documents that we are fortunate to have access to, the story of its creator is equally as impressive. The book also contains Epictetus' "sayings" or Fragments some of which are not found in Discourses. The genuine Fragments of Epictetus are not very numerous, however, they are considered an integral part of his teachings. Since the 16th century, they have been translated into multiple languages and reprinted many times. The present text is translated by William Abbott Oldfather. An American classical scholar. He was influential for building strong academic traditions in classical studies at the University of Illinois and for his studies of ancient Locris in Greece. Also, this book is enhanced with hand-drawn illustrations by R. Bigfield to make the experience of reading these ancient texts more enjoyable and pleasant for a contemporary reader.