Wit and Wisdom of Epictetus

What it is

This small book, printed in 1904 in a limited edition, gathers sayings attributed to Epictetus. The introduction explains that these words were originally recorded by his disciple Flavius Arrian at Nicopolis, since Epictetus himself did not write them down formally.

Why it matters

Because Epictetus never wrote his own teachings, almost everything we know of his thought survives only through Arrian's notes. This book shows how later editors packaged and popularised those notes for new readers, treating Epictetus as a model of plain moral wisdom, as earlier thinkers like Augustine had also done.

Look closer

• Why do we rely on a student's notes rather than Epictetus's own writing?
• What does the introduction suggest about Epictetus's style of speaking?
• How might the sayings change meaning when copied generations later into a printed book?