The name Epictetus is pronounced ep’’ik-ti’tus—eas in get, first i as in habit, second i as in police,u as in but.
But for the zeal and ability of one disciplewe should not now possess any trustworthyaccount of the teaching of Epictetus. For,like not a few other sages, he wrote nothing—histeaching was purely oral, delivered,in the form of lectures or discourses, to thestudents who came to him to receive theireducation in philosophy. One of thesestudents was Flavius Arrianus, afterwardsSenator and Consul of Rome, named byLucian “one among the first of Romanmen,” and known to us chiefly as author ofthe best history of Alexander the Greatwhich was produced in antiquity. Thathistory is still extant, but posterity owesArrian still more abundant thanks for thecopious notes of the teaching of Epictetuswhich he took down from his master’s lipsin Nicopolis. This record he afterwardspublished in eight books (whereof only fournow remain), entitled the Dissertations ofEpictetus; and out of these he drew thematerials for compiling the little work, theEncheiridion, or Manual, of Epictetus, bywhich this philosopher has hitherto beenmost generally known.1
It is clear that the Dissertations were notregarded by Arrian as a satisfactory representationof the teaching of his master;that he published them, indeed, with muchreluctance, and only when it appeared thatunless he did so, certain imperfect versionsof his records would be established as thesole sources of authoritative informationabout Epictetus. These circumstances areexplained in a dedicatory letter to his friendLucius Gellius, prefixed to the edition of theDissertations which Arrian finally resolvedto issue. I here translate this document infull:—
“Arrian to Lucius Gellius, hail.
“I did not write [in literary form andcomposition, συγγράφειν] the words of Epictetusin the manner in which a man mightwrite such things. Neither have I put themforth among men, since, as I say, I did noteven write them. But whatever I heardhim speak, those things I endeavored toset down in his very words, so to preserveto myself for future times a memorial of histhought and unstudied speech. Naturally,therefore, they are such things as one manmight say to another on the occasion of themoment, not such as he would put togetherwith the idea of finding readers long afterwards.Such they are, and I know nothow without my will or knowledge theyfell among men. But to me it is no great7matter if I shall appear unequal to composingsuch a work, and to Epictetus none atall if any one shall despise his discourse; forwhen he spoke it, it was evident that he hadbut one aim—to stir the minds of his hearerstowards the best things. And if, indeed, thewords here written should do the same, thenthey will do, I think, that which the wordsof sages ought to do. But if not, yet letthose who read them know this, that whenhe himself spoke them, it was impossible forthe hearer to avoid feeling whatever Epictetusdesired he should feel. But if his words, whenthey are merely words, have not thiseffect, perhaps it is that I am in fault, perhapsit