The good or ill of a man lies within his own will.

About Epictetus

Portrait of Epictetus

Epictetus ( EH-pick-TEE-təss; Ancient Greek: Ἐπίκτητος, Epíktētos; c. 50 – c. 135 AD) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born into slavery at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present-day Pamukkale, in western Turkey) and lived in Rome until his banishment, after which he spent the rest of his life in Nicopolis in...

More quotations from Epictetus

Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.

When you close your doors, and make darkness within, remember never to say that you are alone, for you are not alone; nay, God is within, and your genius is within. And what need have they of light to see what you are doing?

We hold in our hands, the most precious gift of all: Freedom. The freedom to express our art. Our love. The freedom to be who we want to be. We are not going to give that freedom away and no one shall take it from us!

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.

Only the educated are free.

History

25 Aug 2025 Added