Epictetus

Epictetus (c. 50 CE–c. 135 CE) was a Greek sage and one of the most influential philosophers of the Late Stoic school. Born a slave in Hierapolis (modern-day Turkey), he spent his youth in Rome, where he studied under the eminent Stoic Musonius Rufus before eventually gaining his freedom. Following Emperor Domitian’s banishment of all philosophers from Rome around 93 CE, Epictetus relocated to Nicopolis in Greece, where he established a highly influential philosophical academy. Epictetus did not write any texts himself; instead, his teachings on ethics, self-mastery, and mental resilience were transcribed and preserved by his student Arrian in two seminal works: the Discourses and the Enchiridion (Handbook). His philosophy centered on the dichotomy of control, urging individuals to distinguish between things within their power—such as desires, impulses, and judgments—and things outside their power, such as wealth, health, and reputation.