The Art of Living
The other day a friend told me about the philosophy and writings of Epictetus (pronounced epic-TEE-tus). Epictetus (A.D. 55-135) taught in Rome until the year 94 when Emporer Domitian banned philosophers from the city. In exile, he established his distinguished school of philosophy. Sharon Lebell presents a very nice translation of his work in a book called The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness. From the back of the book:
Epictetus was born into slavery about A.D. 55 in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire. Sold as a child and crippled from the beatings of his master, Epictetus was eventually freed, rising from his humble roots to estabish an influential school of Stoic philosophy. Stressing that human beings cannot control life, only how they respond to it, Epictetus dedicated his life to outlining the simple way to happiness, fulfillment, and tranquility. By putting into practice the ninety-three witty, wise, and razor-sharp instructions that make up The Art of Living, readers learn to successfully meet the challenges of everyday life and face life’s inevitable losses and disappointments with grace.Epictetus’ teachings rank among the greatest wisdom text of human civilization. Sharon Lebell presents this esteemed philosopher’s invaluable insights for the first time in a splendidly down-to-earth rendition. The result is the West’s first and best primer for living the best possible life—as helpful in the twenty-first century as it was in the first.
I highly recommend it.
Posted 28 January 2005
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