Audiobook · read by volunteers
Golden Sayings of Epictetus
Epictetus
Read by Hugh McGuire, Leon Mire, Karen Savage, Chris Masterson, Katie Gibboney, Doug Wetzel · 8 chapters · 2 h 40
About the book
Epictetus was born into slavery in the Roman Empire, yet he became one of the most admired teachers of Stoic philosophy. His message was simple and demanding: we cannot control what happens to us, only how we respond. These Golden Sayings gather short passages taken from his lessons, aphorisms on freedom, fear, duty and the tranquillity that comes from accepting what is beyond our power. Each saying is brief enough to be remembered and sharp enough to be argued with. In the English translation by Hastings Crossley, the collection is among the most accessible introductions to Stoic thought. Lasting under three hours, it is ideal for listeners who want practical wisdom in small, steady portions, and who enjoy thinking about how to live well when life is difficult. It is wisdom compressed to its simplest form.
Introduction
Epictetus (about 55–135) lived first as a slave in Rome and later as a free teacher in Greece, where he taught philosophy to students who were eager to learn how to live. He wrote nothing himself; his words were preserved by his pupil Arrian, whose notes of his discourses are the main source of what we know of his thought. Stoicism, the school he followed, taught that virtue and inner freedom matter more than wealth, status or comfort.
Hastings Crossley (1846–1926) made the English translation, in which the sayings are numbered, so that the recording follows them in groups, from the first twenty-one onward. The format makes the book easy to dip into, because each saying stands on its own. Many of them have been quoted for centuries by readers who found in them strength and consolation. For anyone curious about Stoicism, or simply searching for plain-spoken advice that has survived nearly two thousand years, this is a convenient and memorable place to begin.
The sayings deal with everyday dilemmas as much as with grand principles: how to face criticism, how to deal with anger, how to accept loss. Their tone is honest and direct, and the repeated refrain that we are responsible for our own judgments has comforted generations of readers.
The eight recordings, about 2.7 hours in all, are read by LibriVox volunteers. A book of aphorisms makes a good morning or evening companion: hear one recording, pick a single saying that stays with you, and carry it through the day. Crossley’s English has the formal grace of its time, which gives the plain thoughts a slightly ceremonial dignity.
Public domain
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text