Epictetus: biography of this Greek philosopher.

A summary of the life and intellectual career of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus.

From slave in Rome to great Stoic master in Epirus. This could be the introductory letter of Epictetus, a philosopher who lived in Classical Greek times. Slave of Nero's freedman, he was able to approach philosophy by the hand of Musonius Rufus, a great Stoic.

Once he was free, Epictetus devoted himself entirely to philosophy. He could do little more since, under the reign of Nero, times were not good for the city of Rome, and he had to go into exile.

Although not much more is known about his life, his teachings managed to survive the passage of time, being collected in the Enquiridion and the Dissertations. Let us take a closer look at who this philosopher was and his particular way of promulgating stoicism, by means of a biography of Epictetus in abridged format.

Brief biography of Epictetus

Epictetus (in classical Greek Επίκτητος) was born in 55 A.D. near Hierapolis of Phrygia, present-day Pamukkale, Turkey.. Of his childhood we know little, other than that at some point he was made a slave and taken to Rome.

His name is quite descriptive of his status as a slave, since it means "appendage", "cattle" or "acquired". His master was Epaphroditus, a freedman who had been a slave of Nero. Under his domination, Epictetus suffered cruelly and Epaphroditus even broke his leg.

But despite his terrible cruelty, Epaphroditus gave Epictetus permission to attend the lessons of the Roman philosopher Musonius Rufus, an important and well-known Stoic in Rome.. In time Epictetus would gain his freedom and fully enjoy the art of philosophizing. The doctrine of Musonius Rufus made a strong impression on him, making this former slave a great missionary of Stoicism. He would learn that Stoicism, more than a philosophy, was a way of life, something that would make him an admired teacher.

Musonius Rufus' popularity had its meaning in Rome, especially among the city's aristocracy. Stoicism had become fashionable in the great city and was a current of great interest to anyone who wanted to call himself a man of philosophical learning. However, in spite of the outburst of thought and culture, these were not good times for Rome, since Nero's rule was terribly cruel, something that Musonius Rufus and his disciple Epictetus would soon learn first hand.

From time immemorial, good philosophy and tyranny have never been in harmony. Nero saw the development of knowledge as a real danger to his rule.He had no qualms about expelling many learned men. Mathematicians, astrologers and, of course, philosophers had to leave Rome. Musonius Rufus and Epictetus were victims of the expulsion, and the freedman ended up settling in Nicopolis, in Epirus. It would be there where he would become a very famous character, attracting visitors from Magna Graecia.

Epictetus would build in the city his own Stoic school and, in it, he would share his teachings to personages of the stature of the emperor Hadrian himself, Marcus Aurelius or Aulus Gellius. His most important disciple was Flavius Arrianus, who was in charge of documenting his teachings and compiling them in the two works for which he is known: the Enquiridion and the Dissertations. Epictetus always opted for a poor and solitary lifestyle, although generous and humane. This great philosopher died between 125 and 130 AD.

Thought and work

Much of Epictetus' knowledge has come down to us thanks to his disciple Flavius Arrianus of Nicomedia. It is to him and his faithful enthusiasm that the spontaneous, vigorous and sincere word of Epictetus has been preserved, reaching our times in the form of two works: Dissertations and the Enquiridion.

It should be said that other of his disciples, such as Marcus Aurelius, Aulus Gelius, Arnobius and Stobeus, also dedicated to him some fragments mentioning the knowledge of their master.

Epictetus does not stand out much in the speculative field but he does stand out in his way of looking at Stoicism. He does not ask for a quiet life with others, nor an optimistic harmony with the great laws, with God and the world. What he does promulgate is freedom as an ethical conquest and religious liberation, and he speaks of the absolute independence of the soul. In his Dissertations he does not encourage the stoicism of Seneca or Posidonius, but Epictetus seeks virtue, more freedom than wisdom, uncompromisingly and with faith.

The Dissertations

The Dissertationsalso called Diatribes o Discourses of Epictetusoriginally consisted of eight books, four of which have come down to us. They were written by Flavius Arrianus of Nicomedia and he himself affirms that he limited himself to transcribe faithfully what was said by his teacher in his school of Nicopolis. Arrian goes so far as to say that he hopes to be able to share not only the teachings of his master, but also his same untidy and brusque but also morally sublime tone.

Epictetus' stoicism could be considered rather alternative. However, what is exposed in Dissertations makes this work a fundamental text to know the third period of classical Stoicism, called Roman. Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, who was influenced by the former, are considered to be the greatest representatives of this current. The philosopher is interested in moral problems, leaving the eclectic tendency that had been the norm in the previous Stoicism.

Epictetus takes up in all its rigor the concept of rational will as an aspect that governs the world given by God. This certainly makes the work emanate an air of religiosity. The work reflects the influences of the Cynic doctrines on Epictetus' thought, so it is not surprising that Flavius Arrianus decided to call it Dissertations, since it evokes the popular Cynic "diatribes".

Epictetus spoke of divine Providence as the supreme ruler of the world, who directs it according to the laws of nature, coinciding with those of human reason. God is the father of men and has predisposed everything for their material and moral good. When evil intervenes in human life, it is not Providence that is to blame, but the human being himself who has forgotten his sublime origin and has set aside reason, which is what God has endowed him with to guide his actions.

Reason is a divine particle that guides the human being towards the right behavior.. If the human being allows himself to be seduced by false appearances of good, he ends up submitting to vices and passions, which causes him to act badly. By acting in this way, the only thing he achieves is to renounce his privilege as an animal with reason, sinking into misery and denying the freedom that God has given him.

Thus, the human being is free when he has in his power and knows how to use well the things that matter: his thought, his inclinations and his will. The first chain of slavery is the passions, which disturb the spirit, while the second chain is found in external things, which have their origin in an erroneous idea: honors, riches, health or our own body. They are aspects that do not belong to us, that are exhausted or expire after a time. The fact that they are lost should not cause us regret.

The human being must learn how to quantify his pleasures and sorrows, finding out those which, by their inner nature, remain unalterable, firm and make them free. Man must be prudent, self-confident, and make use of the freedom and make use of the freedom that God has given him as an intelligent being.. Reason is the only immortal particle that God has given us in his omnipotence. Therefore, the human being must take care of reason, because it is a divine portion in him, and protect it from the contagion of the senses.

Another aspect described in Dissertations is the idea that men form a human fraternity. All men, as children of God, are brothers among themselves. They should show mutual affection and help, forgiving their neighbor's faults, which inspire understanding and pity. Moreover, they should be cautious in judging others and apply calmly thought-out punishments. It should be understood that avenging the offense only aggravates it, and diminishes the moral integrity of the one who commits the revenge.

The Enquiridion

The Enquiridion, also called Manual of Epictetusis also a work written by Flavius Arrianus. It is a collection of maxims and teachings a collection of maxims and moral teachings spoken by Epictetus, described clearly and briefly.described in a clear and brief way. This work is known thanks to the version published by Giacomo Leopardi in 1825.

This work presents Epictetus' maxim that freedom is the supreme good. Judgment, intellect, inclination, desire and aversion are factors that we can, in a certain way, control, and the use we make of them will give us greater or lesser freedom. On the other hand, body, health, fortune, wealth and honors are factors that the gods give us in a way that we can hardly modify. Only the aspects that are under our power to change have a moral significance, useful for the dignity and perfection of the soul.

For Epictetus a wise person is so because he knows how to distinguish between that which is under his control and that which is not..... The intellect, for example, is something purely ours, the use of which depends on us. Nothing and no one can deprive us of that which is ours, not even the gods themselves. That is why to him is attributed the following maxim:

"Not even Jupiter himself can force me to desire what I do not want nor to believe in what I do not believe."

Freedom begins when one masters one's own irrational impulses, be they instincts, vices and passions, and extends to that of ambitions, disappointments, social and political events, the fear of falling ill and death.

Bibliographical references:

• Musonius Rufus, Gaius / Epictetus (1995). Table of Cebes / Dissertations; minor fragments / Manual; fragments. Editorial Gredos. Madrid. ISBN 978-84-249-1689-3.
• Epictetus (1993). Disertations by Arrian. Editorial Gredos. Madrid. ISBN 978-84-249-1628-2.