Prologue

Arrian to Lucius Gellius, with wishes for his happiness.

Arrian to Lucius Gellius, wishing him happiness.

I neither wrote these Discourses¹³ of Epictetus in the way in which a man might write such things; nor did I make them public myself, inasmuch as I declare that I did not even write them. But whatever I heard him say, the same I attempted to write down in his own words as nearly as possible, for the purpose of preserving them as memorials to myself afterwards of the thoughts and the freedom of speech of Epictetus. Accordingly, the Discourses are naturally such as a man would address without preparation to another, not such as a man would write with the view of others reading them. Now, being such, I do not know how they fell into the hands of the public, without either my consent or my knowledge. But it concerns me little if I shall be considered incompetent to write; and it concerns Epictetus not at all if any man shall despise his words; for at the time when he uttered them, it was plain that he had no other purpose than to move the minds of his hearers to the best things. If, indeed, these Discourses should produce this effect, they will have, I think, the result which the words of philosophers ought to have. But if they shall not, let those who read them know that, when Epictetus delivered them, the hearer could not avoid being affected in the way that Epictetus wished him to be. But if the Discourses themselves, as they are written, do not effect this result, it may be that the fault is mine, or, it may be that the thing is unavoidable.

I did not write these Discourses¹³ of Epictetus as someone normally would. Nor did I publish them myself, since, as I say, I did not even write them. Instead, I tried to record whatever I heard him say, using his own words as closely as possible. I wanted to preserve them as a reminder to myself of Epictetus’s thoughts and his freedom of speech. So the Discourses are naturally like words spoken to another person without preparation, not words written for others to read. I do not know how they came to be published without my consent or knowledge. But I care little if people think I cannot write. And it matters nothing to Epictetus if anyone despises his words. When he spoke, it was clear that his only purpose was to turn his listeners’ minds toward the best things. If these Discourses have that effect, I think they will achieve what the words of philosophers should achieve. But if they do not, readers should know that, when Epictetus delivered them, his listeners could not help being affected as he wished. If the Discourses as written do not have that effect, the fault may be mine, or it may be unavoidable.

Farewell!

Goodbye!