Fragments Attributed to Epictetus

A life entangled with Fortune is like a torrent. It is turbulent and muddy; hard to pass and masterful of mood: noisy and of brief continuance.

A life tangled up with Fortune is like a raging river. It's turbulent and muddy. It's hard to cross and unpredictable. It's noisy and doesn't last long.

The soul that companies with Virtue is like an ever-flowing source. It is a pure, clear, and wholesome draught; sweet, rich, and generous of its store; that injures not, neither destroys.

A soul that embraces virtue is like a spring that never runs dry. It offers a pure, clear, and healthy drink. The water is sweet, rich, and freely given. It harms nothing and destroys nothing.

It is a shame that one who sweetens his drink with the gifts of the bee, should embitter God’s gift Reason with vice.

It's shameful to sweeten your drink with honey from bees, yet poison God's gift of Reason with vice.

Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the living, and her eyes they blind.

Crows peck out the eyes of the dead, when the dead no longer need them. But flatterers destroy the soul of the living, and her eyes they blind.

Keep neither a blunt knife nor an ill-disciplined looseness of tongue.

Don't keep a dull knife or an undisciplined tongue.

Nature hath given men one tongue but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.

Nature gave us one tongue but two ears so we can hear twice as much as we speak.

Do not give sentence in another tribunal till you have been yourself judged in the tribunal of Justice.

Don't judge others until you've been judged by Justice yourself.

If is shameful for a Judge to be judged by others.

It's shameful for a judge to be judged by others.

Give me by all means the shorter and nobler life, instead of one that is longer but of less account!

Give me a shorter, nobler life instead of a longer one that matters less!

Freedom is the name of virtue: Slavery, of vice. . . . None is a slave whose acts are free.

Freedom is the name of virtue. Slavery is the name of vice. No one is a slave whose actions are free.

Of pleasures, those which occur most rarely give the most delight.

The pleasures that come least often bring the greatest joy.

Exceed due measure, and the most delightful things become the least delightful.

Go too far, and even the most enjoyable things stop being enjoyable.

The anger of an ape—the threat of a flatterer:—these deserve equal regard.

The anger of an ape and the threat of a flatterer deserve equal regard.

Chastise thy passions that they avenge not themselves upon thee.

Control your passions so they don't take revenge on you.

No man is free who is not master of himself.

You can't be free unless you have control over yourself.

A ship should not ride on a single anchor, nor life on a single hope.

Don't rely on just one anchor to keep a ship safe, and don't rely on just one hope to sustain your life.

Fortify thyself with contentment: that is an impregnable stronghold.

Strengthen yourself with contentment. It is a fortress that cannot be conquered.

No man who is a lover of money, of pleasure, of glory, is likewise a lover of Men; but only he that is a lover of whatsoever things are fair and good.

No one who loves money, pleasure, or glory can truly love other people. Only someone who loves what is fair and good can do that.

Think of God more often than thou breathest.

Think of God more often than you breathe.

Choose the life that is noblest, for custom can make it sweet to thee.

Choose the noblest life, for habit can make it sweet to you.

Let thy speech of God be renewed day by day, aye, rather than thy meat and drink.

Talk about God every day, even more often than you eat and drink.

Even as the Sun doth not wait for prayers and incantations to rise, but shines forth and is welcomed by all: so thou also wait not for clapping of hands and shouts and praise to do thy duty; nay, do good of thine own accord, and thou wilt be loved like the Sun.

Just as the Sun doesn't wait for prayers and chants before it rises, but simply shines and everyone welcomes it, you shouldn't wait for applause, cheers, and praise before doing your duty. Do good on your own initiative, and you'll be loved like the Sun.

Let no man think that he is loved by any who loveth none.

No one should think they are loved by someone who loves no one.

If thou rememberest that God standeth by to behold and visit all that thou doest; whether in the body or in the soul, thou surely wilt not err in any prayer or deed; and thou shalt have God to dwell with thee.

If you remember that God is present to witness everything you do, whether in body or soul, you won't make mistakes in your prayers or actions. And you will have God living with you.

Note.—Schweighæuser’s great edition collects 181 fragments attributed to Epictetus, of which but a few are certainly genuine. Some (as xxi., xxiv., above) bear the stamp of Pythagorean origin; others, though changed in form, may well be based upon Epictetean sayings. Most have been preserved in the Anthology of John of Stobi (Stobæus), a Byzantine collector, of whom scarcely anything is known but that he probably wrote towards the end of the fifth century, and made his vast body of extracts from more than five hundred authors for his son’s use. The best examination of the authenticity of the Fragments is Quaestiones Epicteteæ, by R. Asmus, 1888. The above selection includes some of doubtful origin but intrinsic interest.—Crossley.

Note.—Schweighæuser's major edition collects 181 fragments attributed to Epictetus. Only a few are certainly genuine. Some (like xxi. and xxiv. above) show signs of Pythagorean origin. Others may be based on actual sayings by Epictetus, though the wording has changed. Most fragments were preserved in the Anthology of John of Stobi (Stobæus), a Byzantine collector. We know almost nothing about him except that he probably wrote near the end of the fifth century. He made his huge collection of extracts from more than five hundred authors for his son's use. The best study of whether the Fragments are authentic is Quaestiones Epicteteæ by R. Asmus, published in 1888. The selection above includes some fragments of doubtful origin but real interest.—Crossley.