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Secondary sourceDocumentc. 11th-12th century

Codex Bodleianus

c. 11th-12th century

An 11th-12th century Byzantine manuscript in the Bodleian Library that is the archetype from which all surviving copies of Epictetus's Discourses descend.

The oldest surviving manuscript transmitting Epictetus's recorded teachings to the modern world.

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A photographed page of an old handwritten Greek manuscript on yellowed, worn parchment. The dense brown-black lines of script are written in a cursive hand, with a large dark stain in the middle obscuring part of the text. A circular library stamp is visible at the upper right and another near the bottom. Faded marginal notes appear on the right side.
Codex Bodleianus (Cod. graec. Misc. 251, Auct. T. 4. 13), c. 11th-12th century. Bodleian Library.

About this source

What it is

This is a medieval Greek manuscript held at the Bodleian Library, dating to around the 11th or 12th century. It contains the Discourses of Epictetus, as recorded by his pupil Arrian, and is the oldest known copy from which all later surviving texts descend.

Why it matters

Without this single manuscript, much of what we know of Epictetus's teaching might have been lost entirely. A large stain obscures part of the text, showing how fragile and accidental the survival of ancient writings can be. It is a reminder that what we read today passed through many hands and centuries of copying.

Look closer

  • What does the damage on this page tell you about the risks faced by texts copied by hand over centuries?
  • Why do you think only one manuscript of this kind survived to become the source for all later copies?
  • What might be missing from Epictetus's teaching because of lost pages or books?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Epictetus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page and opening of Chapter I of the Enchiridion of Epictetus, a 1683 edition with Greek and Latin text in two columns, a decorated initial letter, and Latin commentary below.Book

Secondary source

Enchiridion of Epictetus

Arrian · early 2nd century AD (this edition 1683)

A photographed page of an ancient Greek manuscript on aged, yellowed parchment with brownish edges. Dense lines of handwritten Greek script fill the page, with a large dark brown stain in the center obscuring part of the text. A small circular library stamp appears on the right side, and a marginal number is visible at the upper right. Some marginal notes are written at the lower right.Book

Secondary source

Discourses of Epictetus

Arrian · c. 108 AD

Title page of a 1558 Latin and Greek edition of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, printed in Zurich by Andreas Gesner. The page lists Xylander as translator and includes a second title for Marinus' Life of Proclus.Book

Primary source

Meditations

Marcus Aurelius · c. 170-180 AD (this edition printed 1558)

Scan of the inside cover or flyleaf of a book, grey and aged, with an oval library stamp reading 'Bibliotheque de la Ville de Poitiers' and 'D 3463' at top left, and handwritten shelfmark 'v. 33.' and 'in 8°' in the centre. No title page text is visible.Book

Secondary source

Altercacion, dialogue de l'Empereur Adrian et du Philosophe Epictete

Jean de Coras (translator)

Plain dark red-brown leather book cover with mottled texture, faded lighter streaks and worn spots, and no visible title or text. Likely the binding of an antique book.Book

Secondary source

Commentary on the Enchiridion of Epictetus

Simplicius of Cilicia · c. 530s AD

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