Greek and Roman philosophy · Stoicism
The Encheiridion
Section V · Events and opinions
Complete section V (5) of the Encheiridion. The remainder of the handbook and the selected Discourses are not reproduced.
The complete numbered section in George Long’s wording. The descriptive section title is editorial.
Men are disturbed not by the things which happen, but by the opinions about the things; for example, death is nothing terrible, for if it were it would have seemed so to Socrates; for the opinion about death that it is terrible, is the terrible thing. When then we are impeded, or disturbed, or grieved, let us never blame others, but ourselves—that is, our opinions. It is the act of an ill-instructed man to blame others for his own bad condition; it is the act of one who has begun to be instructed, to lay the blame on himself; and of one whose instruction is completed, neither to blame another, nor himself.
Edition & source
Complete section V (5) of the Encheiridion. The remainder of the handbook and the selected Discourses are not reproduced.
- Edition
- A Selection from the Discourses of Epictetus with the Encheiridion
- Translation
- George Long (1800–1879)
- Published
- 19th-century translation; digital transcription 2004
- Reading language
- English
- Original language
- Greek
- Text & usage
- Historical translation; Project Gutenberg identifies its transcription as public domain in the USA.
George Long died in 1879. Only the historical translation of section V is reproduced, without modern annotations. The exact print issue of this digital selection has not been established.
A compact handbook of Stoic teaching associated with Epictetus and transmitted by Arrian. Section V asks readers to examine the judgments through which events become frightening or disturbing.