Epictetus · c. 50 – c. 135 CE
Discourses 1.9 ¶6 — Epictetus
From “How from the Fact That We Are Akin to God a Man May Proceed to the Consequences”
Translation by George Long (1877)
Epictetus, Discourses 1.9 ¶6
A man asked me to write to Rome about him, a man who, as most people thought, had been unfortunate, for formerly he was a man of rank and rich, but had been stripped of all, and was living here. I wrote on his behalf in a submissive manner; but when he had read the letter, he gave it back to me and said, “I wished for your help, not your pity: no evil has happened to me.”
Cite this passage
Epictetus, Discourses 1.9 ¶6, tr. George Long (1877)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/discourses/1.9.6
Epictetus, Discourses (as recorded by Arrian), tr. George Long (1877). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesA man who had lost his rank and fortune handed back a letter written on his behalf in a pitying tone, saying he had wanted help and not pity, since no evil had happened to him. Losing status and money is not itself harm, and treating someone as pitiable can insult their dignity.
Older wording
- “submissive”
- — humbly deferential
Themes and situations
- Resilience and endurance
- Wealth and poverty
- Pride and humility
- Acceptance and fate
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Losing money
- Losing a job
- A career setback
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