The Art of Living

‘The Art of Living’ is an ancient text offers ninety-three witty and wise instructions to meet the challenges of everyday life successfully. It is written by Epictetus, a Greek Stoic philosopher and one of the greatest of the ancient thinkers. Epictetus was born into slavery about 55 CE in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire. Once freed, he founded an influential school of Stoic philosophy, stressing that human beings cannot control life, only their reactions to it.

Epictetus believed that the primary mission of philosophy is to help ordinary people meet the challenges of daily life and deal with losses, disappointments, and grief. His remedy for the good life includes, mastering desires, performing one's duties, and learning to think clearly about oneself and the larger community. In this accessible interpretation by Sharon Lebell, contemporary listeners will find useful advice from this book.

Epictetus was a Greek speaking Stoic philosopher. He was born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present day Pamukkale, Turkey), and lived in Rome until his banishment, when he went to Nicopolis in north-western Greece for the rest of his life. His teachings were written down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses.

Epictetus taught that philosophy is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control; we should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Frontispiece drawn by “Sonnem.” (? hard to read, left bottom corner) and engraved by “MB” (bottom right corner). Image scanned by the John Adams Library at the Boston Public Library. Image slightly improved by Aristeas. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.