<p>Born enslaved and lamed by his master, <a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus">Epictetus</a> studied Stoic philosophy while in bondage. Once freed, he survived Domitian’s banishment of all philosophers from Rome to settle in Greece, where he founded a school of philosophy. He quickly rose to prominence as a renowned Stoic scholar and teacher, and even though he was personally favored by emperors, he kept a simple life.</p> <p>While most of Epictetus’s writings were compiled in the <i><a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/epictetus/discourses/george-long">Discourses</a></i> by his student Arrian of Nicomedia, his writings were also summarized in a short manual called the “Enchiridion.” A short handbook with practical suggestions on how to live a good and satisfying life, it remained popular for centuries with translations to different languages completed as early as 1493, and was even a common school text in Scotland during the 18th century.</p> <p>This Standard Ebooks edition collects the “Enchiridion” together with Epictetus’s miscellaneous fragmentary teachings.</p>