1. A certain young man, a rhetorician, having come to Epictetus with his hair dressed in an unusually elaborate way, and his other attire much adorned, Tell me, said Epictetus, think you not that some dogs are beautiful, and some horses, and so of the other animals?
1. A young man who studied rhetoric came to Epictetus with unusually elaborate hair and richly decorated clothes. “Tell me,” said Epictetus, “don’t you think some dogs are beautiful, and some horses, and likewise some other animals?”
——“I do think it,” said he.
“I do think so,” he said.
And men too—are not some beautiful and some ill-favored?
And men too, aren't some beautiful and some unattractive?
——“How otherwise?”
“How else could it be?”
Whether, then, do we call each of these beautiful for the same reasons and in the same kind, or each for something proper to itself? And you shall see the matter thus: Inasmuch as we observe a dog to be formed by nature for one end, and a horse for another, and, let us say, a nightingale for another, we may in general say, not unreasonably, that each of them is then beautiful when it is excellent according to its own nature; but since the nature of each is different, different also, it seems to me, is the manner of being beautiful in each. Is it not so?
Do we call each of these beautiful for the same reasons and in the same way? Or is each beautiful because of something unique to it? Consider it this way. We see that nature has formed a dog for one purpose, a horse for another, and a nightingale for another. So we can reasonably say, in general, that each is beautiful when it excels according to its own nature. But each has a different nature. So it seems to me that each is also beautiful in a different way. Isn’t that so?
He acknowledged that it was.
He agreed that it was.
Therefore, that which maketh a dog beautiful maketh a horse ill-favored; and that which maketh a horse beautiful, a dog ill-favored; if, indeed, their natures are different?
So what makes a dog beautiful makes a horse unattractive. And what makes a horse beautiful makes a dog unattractive, if their natures are indeed different?
——“So it seems.”
“So it seems.”
And that which maketh a beautiful Pancratiast, the same maketh a wrestler not good, and a runner utterly laughable? And he who is beautiful for the Pentathlon is very bad for wrestling?
And what makes a fine pancratiast also makes a poor wrestler and an utterly laughable runner? And a man well built for the pentathlon is very bad at wrestling?
1. The Pancratium was a contest that allowed both boxing and wrestling. For the Pentathlon, see Bk. II. chap, xvii., note 3.
——“It is so,” he said.
“That’s true,” he said.
What is it, then, that makes a man beautiful? Is it not that which, in its kind, makes also a dog or a horse beautiful?
What, then, makes a man beautiful? Isn’t it the same thing that makes a dog or horse beautiful, each in its own way?
——“It is that,” he answered.
“That’s it,” he answered.
What, then, makes a dog beautiful? The presence of the virtue of a dog. And a horse? The presence of the virtue of a horse. And what, then, a man? Is it not also the presence of the virtue of a man? And, O youth, if thou wouldst be beautiful, do thou labor to perfect this, the virtue of a human being. But what is it? Look whom you praise when you praise any without affection—is it the righteous or the unrighteous?
What, then, makes a dog beautiful? Having the qualities that make a dog excellent. And a horse? Having the qualities that make a horse excellent. What, then, makes a human being beautiful? Isn’t it also having the qualities that make a human being excellent? Young man, if you want to be beautiful, work to perfect these qualities in yourself. But what are they? Consider whom you praise when affection does not influence your judgment. Is it the just or the unjust?
——“The righteous.”
“The good people.”
Is it the temperate or the profligate?
Is it the self-controlled person or the self-indulgent one?
——“The temperate.”
“Those who practice self-control.”
Is it the continent or the incontinent?
Is it the self-controlled person or the one who lacks self-control?
——“The continent.”
“The self-controlled.”
Then making yourself such a one as you praise, you will know that you are making yourself beautiful; but so long as you neglect these things, though you sought out every device to appear beautiful, you must of necessity be ugly.
Become the kind of person you praise, and you will know you are making yourself beautiful. But as long as you neglect these things, you will necessarily be ugly, however hard you try to look beautiful.
2. For thou art not flesh and hair, but a Will: if thou keep this beautiful, then wilt thou be beautiful. But so far I dare not tell thee that thou art ugly, for I think thou wilt more easily bear to hear anything else than this. But see what Socrates saith to Alcibiades, the most beautiful and blooming of men: Endeavor, then, to be beautiful; and what saith he? Curl thy locks, and pluck out the hairs of thy legs? God forbid. But Set thy Will in order, cast out evil doctrines.
2. You are not flesh and hair, but a Will. If you keep this beautiful, you will be beautiful. But I do not yet dare tell you that you are ugly. I think you would find anything else easier to hear. But consider what Socrates says to Alcibiades, the most beautiful of men, in the bloom of youth: Try, then, to be beautiful. What does he mean? Curl your hair and pluck the hairs from your legs? God forbid. Instead, Put your Will in order and cast out false beliefs.
——“And how then shall we deal with the body?”
“And how, then, should we deal with the body?”
As nature made it. Another hath cared for this; commit it to Him.
As nature made it. Someone else has taken care of this. Leave it to him.
——“But what? Shall the body then be uncleansed?”
“But what? Should the body be left unwashed, then?”
God forbid. But that which thou art and wast made by Nature, cleanse this; let a man be clean as a man, a woman as a woman, a child as a child.
God forbid. But keep yourself clean as Nature made you. Let a man be clean as a man, a woman as a woman, a child as a child.
3. For we ought not even by the aspect of the body to scare away the multitude from philosophy; but by his body, as in all other things, a philosopher should show himself cheerful, and free from troubles. Behold, friends, how I have nothing and need nothing; behold how I am homeless and landless, and an exile, if so it chance, and hearthless, and yet I live more free from troubles than all the lordly and the rich. But look on my body, too; ye see that it is not the worse for my hard life. But if one saith this to me, having the countenance and garb of a condemned criminal, what God shall persuade me to approach to philosophy which makes such men as this? God forbid! I would not, were it even to become a sage.
3. We should not scare people away from philosophy even by our physical appearance. A philosopher should appear cheerful and free from troubles, in his body as in everything else. Look, friends, I have nothing and need nothing. Look how I have no home or land, and am an exile, if that happens to be true, with no hearth of my own. Yet I live more free from troubles than all the powerful and the rich. But look at my body, too. You see that my hard life has not harmed it. But suppose someone tells me this while looking and dressing like a condemned criminal. What God could persuade me to embrace a philosophy that produces people like this? God forbid! I would not, even if it meant becoming a sage.
4. I, indeed, by the Gods, had rather a young man in his first movement towards philosophy came to me with his hair curled than disheveled and foul. For a certain impression of the beautiful is to be seen in him, and an aim at what is becoming; and to the thing wherein it seemeth to him to lie, there he applies his art. Thenceforth it only needs to show him its true place, and to say, Young man, thou seekest the beautiful, and thou dost well. Know, then, that it flourishes there where thy Reason is; there seek it where are thy likes and dislikes, thy pursuits and avoidances, for this is what thou hast in thyself of choice and precious, but the body is by nature mud. Why dost thou spend thy labor upon it in vain? for that the body is naught, Time shall certainly teach thee, though it teach thee nothing else. But if one come to me foul and filthy, and a mustache down to the knees, what have I to say to him? with what image or likeness can I draw him on? For with what that is like unto Beauty hath he ever busied himself, so as I may set him on another course, and say, Not here is Beauty, but there? Will you have me tell him, Beauty consists not in being befouled, but in the Reason? For doth he even seek Beauty? hath he any impression of it in his mind? Go, and reason with a hog, that he shall not roll himself in the mud.
4. By the gods, I would rather a young man beginning philosophy came to me with curled hair than dirty, unkempt hair. He shows some sense of beauty and a desire for what is fitting. He puts his skill into whatever he thinks contains that beauty. All that remains is to show him where beauty truly belongs and say, Young man, you seek beauty, and you are right to do so. Know, then, that it flourishes where your reason is. Seek it in your likes and dislikes, in what you pursue and avoid. These are the finest and most precious things within you, while the body is mud by nature. Why waste your effort on it? Time will certainly teach you that the body is worthless, even if it teaches you nothing else. But suppose someone comes to me dirty and filthy, with a mustache down to his knees. What can I say to him? What image or comparison can I use to lead him forward? Has he ever concerned himself with anything resembling beauty? What could I use to redirect him and say, Beauty is not here, but there? Would you have me tell him, Beauty lies not in being filthy, but in reason? Does he even seek beauty? Does he have any idea of it in his mind? Go and reason with a pig, trying to persuade it not to roll in the mud.
5. Behold a youth worthy of love—behold an old man worthy to love, and to be loved in return; to whom one may commit his sons, his daughters, to be taught; to whom young men may come, if it please you—that he may deliver lectures to them on a dunghill! God forbid. Every extravagance arises from something in human nature, but this is near to being one that is not human.
5. Look at a young man worthy of love. Look at an old man worthy of loving and being loved in return. You could trust him to teach your sons and daughters. Young men could come to him, if you like, so he could lecture them on a dung heap! God forbid. Every extreme behavior comes from something in human nature, but this one comes close to being inhuman.