Epictetus · c. 50 – c. 135 CE
Fragments 91 — Epictetus
Translation by George Long (1877)
Epictetus, Fragments 91
Note: A saying of Thales preserved among Epictetus’s fragments — not Epictetus’s own words.
When Thales was asked what is most universal, he answered, Hope, for hope stays with those who have nothing else.
Cite this passage
Epictetus, Fragments 91, tr. George Long (1877)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/epictetus-fragments/91
Epictetus, Enchiridion and Fragments, tr. George Long (1877). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesAsked what is most common to all people, Thales answered hope, because even those who have lost everything else still have it. Hope is the last possession left when everything else is gone.
Themes and situations
- Fear and anxiety
- Resilience and endurance
- Adversity and hardship
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