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Philosopher · Writer
Stoic philosopher during the Roman Empire. Freed from slavery, he preached that freedom lies in the decisions of the heart, not in external circumstances. He is an important figure who shows the Roman development of Hellenistic thought.
View in catalogHierapolis
Birth
Nicopolis
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Born in Hierapolis, Asia Minor, he became a slave in Rome at a young age. He is said to have studied under his master and learned philosophy from the Stoic school Musonius Rufus.
Although he did not leave any writings of his own, his ideas were conveyed through the ``Roku'' and ``Summary,'' in which his disciple Arianos recorded his lectures. He preached an ethics that distinguishes between things that humans can control and things that they cannot control.
After the exile of philosophers by Emperor Domitian, Epictetus opened a school in Nicopolis, Greece. He spread the teachings of cultivating inner freedom away from political power.
By studying Epictetus, you can understand how personal ethics and freedom of mind were discussed under the rule of the Roman Empire. It also influenced later Christian thought, modern ethics, and self-cultivation theory. It can also be used for comparison with surrounding areas from the same era.
