Epictetus: Discourses, Books 3-4. The Encheiridion. (Loeb Classical Library No. 218)

This is the second of the two volume Loeb Classical Library edition of Epictetus' Discourses, with Greek and W. A. Oldfather's English translation on facing pages. For those who have no intgerest in the Greek, purchasing this volume may seem like a bit of overkill when compared with inexpensive reprints such as the one from NuVision Publications (September 19, 2006). As someone who bought the reprint first, I must tell you I tried to use it once and was immediately disappointed. Just as with my copies of Homer, Plato, Aristotle, and practically every other classic author, I rarely read them or parts of them from start to finish. Rather, I look up sections when I find references to them in commentaries on, for example, parts of the Old or New Testaments. In order to find the appropriate passage, one must use the established section and paragraph numbering. Unfortunately, this numbering is entirely missing from the reprint, which I have donated to my nearest library after receiving my Loeb copies. These little gems cost about four times the reprint, but for that, you get a book you will be proud to own, and even show off a bit on your bookshelf, plus a great little commentary on the Discourses, as well as the 'Fragments' and 'The Encheiridion', a summary of Epictetus thoughts by his secretary, Arrian. The reprint has none of this and, for the third time, I suggest it is less than useless, as it gives the illusion of value, and you will be disappointed when you find it missing.

this is an excellent book. on one side in Greek an the other in English. excellent, just excellent!

I lost these books in a move. I reordered them. I can't live without them. I have never found better advice for liviing happily and usefully than I get from the Stoics. This includes the essays of Montaigne. I use the books for daily reminders,The general idea is to live according to one's own self-interest -- rightly understood. Rightly understood, it is in our own self-interest to be healthy, honest, a good neighbor, and to faithfully assume our responsibilies without complaint.

Great book

I bought this book to help me improve my New Testament Greek because I was told that Epictetus' koine Greek is fairly easy. It was a good choice because although no Greek is really easy, this is much easier than say Plato or even some of the Church Father's I have tried. I have read through the Encheiridion and have found the vocabulary, and, to a lesser exent, the syntax, to be very similar to the New Testament. This is important because for those of us whose goal is to read the Greek New Testament well, we don't want to spend a lot of time learning vocabulary not found in the N.T. Almost every word I had to look up in the Encheiridion is either in the N.T. or has a similar cognate that is. Epictetus uses several words that appear in the N.T. only once or twice quite often, which means that if you read and re-read Epictetus you will begin to master rare N.T. words. The other problem with finding good non-biblical Greek to read is that a lot of it is either worthless or anti-Christian or both, but Stoicism is a worthy philosophy in its own right and does not conflict with the Christian faith. It is of great comfort and the Encheiridion is that rare book that one wants to read over and over again, which, like reading the New Testament over and over again, is the only way that I seem to be able to master Greek to the limited extent I have. The Loeb classical library is renowned but not exactly ideal. Having a tranlsation on the facing page is a must for non-biblical Greek, because again one does not WANT to master every word or construction if it is not found in the N.T. What I do is to annotate my copy with vocabulary words I am trying to learn or cross reference to similary N.T. words. Oldfeather's translation is not the best, nor even is it literal enough to unpack the Greek, but it is okay and the main thing a reader of this book would want is a Greek text. The book's small size allows one to carry it around easily, although a larger Greek font would always be appreciated. The footnotes are adequate. Bottom line; this is one of the greatest works of philosophy and very helpful to those learning New Testament Greek.

Excellent

I found epictetus' guide for living in a bookstore, and I had to read more. Discourses is wonderful book on many levels. It is disorganized and at times anachronistic, but it is well worth reading.It is one of the most comforting books to read if you having trouble in your life. It should be required reading for anyone who is depressed. His simple lessons allow one to overcome fear and recognize real priorities. His style ranges from brilliant clear logic to deeply and beautifully spiritual. Thus he reaches the skeptical critical thinker as well as the more emotional type.The book is also a window into the mindset of the Roman Empire in the first century. Though Epictetus was a pagan his concept of God is very Monotheistic. Clearly stoic thought and philosopy influenced early Christians. Interestingly Epictetus argues that we ought to live a way of life that is very similar to what Christianity prescribes. Forgivness of self and others is just one of the similarities. However, he argues not that each of us carries original sin, but that each of us carries a spark of divinity: We have been given understanding and intelligence to recognize right from wrong as well as the ability to choose. The shear wonder of this gift and of creation in general motivates us to choose right, not fear of Hell or desire for Heaven.It is amazing to me that one who spoke so long ago can speak so clearly to the real life issues we face today. Read it to understand history. Read it for a fresh view on Judeochristian thought and morals. Read it for your own mental and spiritual health. Read it.

Stoicism is very popular today and there are a lot of sources and books from many different authors. It's always best to start with the originals. Epictetus is a good place to begin your journey with Stoic Philosophy.

One might as well bite the bullet and get Loeb editions for ease of reference and use. The print quality, as mentioned by others, could be a bit clearer. I also picked up a copy of the Encheiridon (Manual on the Art of Living) from the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens. It's the Encheiridon and nothing else but well laid out with Greek and English facing and clearly numbered. The print size makes it much easier and pleasant to read. I also find the translation (by P.E. Matheson) slightly preferable in places to W.A. Oldfather's in Loeb's edition. However it's not worth sacrificing the Greek text if you can't get the MCA edition – as other, cheap editions of the Matheson seem to be the translation only. And of course with the Loeb you get Books 3 & 4 of the Discourses and the Fragments as well.

I have now read many translations of Epictetus from the Everymans, to NUVISION and the dover classic of the Encheiridon. Hannds down no questions asked these two Loeb books 1 & 2 are the best and should be the books purchased. I made the mistake of buying the NuVision one and it can not compare. I will have to wait and purchase these books later. If you like Epictetus and are interested in his teachings gets these books. They are small too and very portable another big plus for me while commuting. The notes are good and the translation is just so much better. A wonderful top quality book.