Born a slave—he became one of the greatest philosophers to ever live. Epictetus rose to become one of the most important Stoic philosophers, but the path to arrive at this accomplishment was fraught with difficulty. This video will teach you how to read Epictetus to gain your freedom and find happiness. ✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail 📚 Get these books Discourses and Selected Writings - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/philosophy4?_pos=5&_sid=ffee1c6f7&_ss=r Art of Living - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/artofliving?_pos=3&_sid=ffee1c6f7&_ss=r How to Be Free - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/philosophy9?_pos=4&_sid=ffee1c6f7&_ss=r The Daily Stoic Journal - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/ryan5?_pos=3&_sid=3d48ad53e&_ss=r Man in Full - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/man-in-full?_pos=1&_sid=aa5f70228&_ss=r Lives of the Stoics - https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/ryan9?_pos=1&_sid=5f5df2c73&_ss=r He grew up as a slave to a wealthy man, who allowed him to study philosophy yet certain accounts argue that it was his master who crippled Epictetus at a young age. Luckily, when he was 33 years old, Epictetus was freed, and taught philosophy in Rome As a respected teacher, Epictetus drew praise from some of the most respected scholars. Marcus Aurelius himself would be loaned a copy of Epictetus and thanks his mentor Junius Rusticus in Meditations for doing so. Despite his impressive pedigree, Epictetus lived a simple and humble life. He taught that philosophy is first and foremost a way of life, and only secondly, discussions of why we should live that way. His teachings stress above all that we should accept unconditionally anything that is outside of our sphere of control. What might come as a surprise is that Epictetus did not leave any writing of his own, rather, it was his student Arrian, who wrote down his words for him, just like how Plato wrote down the dialogues of Socrates. 00:00 Intro 01:30 Who was Epictetus? 05:26 What are the best themes from Epictetus? 20:43 The lasting influence of Epictetus 24:00 Reading recommendations for Epictetus 🎓 FREE GUIDE to Stoic philosophy: https://dailystoic.com/freeguide 🏛 Get Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints to remember these lessons at the Daily Stoic Store: https://store.dailystoic.com/ Instagram: ​https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/dailystoic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailystoic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@daily_stoic #Stoicism​ #DailyStoic​ #RyanHoliday​