Epictetus Tee

Epictetus (c. 50–135 CE) was a Greek Stoic philosopher born into slavery in Hierapolis, Phrygia (modern-day Turkey). His master, Epaphroditus—himself a freedman of Emperor Nero—permitted him to study philosophy under the Stoic teacher Musonius Rufus. After gaining his freedom, Epictetus taught philosophy in Rome until Emperor Domitian banished all philosophers from the city around 93 CE. He then established a school in Nicopolis, Greece, where he taught for the rest of his life, attracting students from across the Roman world. Like Socrates, Epictetus wrote nothing himself; his teachings survive through the Discourses and the Enchiridion (Handbook), both recorded by his student Arrian. The core of his philosophy rests on a fundamental distinction: some things are within our control (our judgments, desires, and responses) and some are not (external events, other people's actions, our bodies). Freedom and tranquility come from focusing exclusively on what we can control and accepting everything else with equanimity. His teachings profoundly influenced Marcus Aurelius and have seen a remarkable modern revival through cognitive behavioral therapy and the contemporary Stoicism movement.