Epictetus: Enchiridion and Fragments

by Epictetus, W.A. Oldfather (Translation), R. Bigfield (Illustrations)

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.

66 pages, Paperback

Published April 13, 2020

About the author

Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was probably born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present day Pamukkale, Turkey), and lived in Rome until his exile to Nicopolis in northwestern Greece, where he lived most of his life and died. His teachings were noted down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses. Philosophy, he taught, is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control, but we can accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. Individuals, however, are responsible for their own actions which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power. As part of the universal city that is the universe, human beings have a duty of care to all fellow humans. The person who followed these precepts would achieve happiness.

Other language versions:
Epictète
Epícteto
Epiktet