Volume 1 - Discourses - Books I - II - College of Stoic Philosophers

BOOK I. ix. 8-12shall I be fed, asks one, if I have nothing? Andhow of slaves, how of runaways, on what do theyrely when they leave their masters ? On their lands,their slaves, or their vessels of silver? No, onnothing but themselves ; and nevertheless food doesnot fail them. And shall it be necessary for ourphilosopher, forsooth, when he goes abroad, to dependupon others for his assurance and his refreshment,instead of taking care of himself, and to be morevile and craven than the irrational animals, evervone of which is sufficient to himself, and lacks neithe'rits own proper food nor that way of life which isappropriate to it and in harmony with nature ?As for me, I think that the elder man x ought notto be sitting here devising how to keep you fromthinking too meanly of yourselves or from taking inyour debates a mean or ignoble position regarding2yourselves he should rather be ; striving totherepreventbeing among you any young men of such asort that, when once they have realized theirkinship to the gods and that we have these fettersas it were fastened upon us, the body and itspossessions, and whatever things on their accountare necessary to us for the management of life, andour tarrying therein, they may desire to throwaside all these things as burdensome and vexatiousand unprofitable and depart to their kindred. Andthis is the struggle in which your teacher andtrainer, if he really amounted to anything, ought tobe engaged you, for your ;part, would come to himsaying: "Epictetus, we can no longer endure to beconvinced of this, from acting as if the life of the body werea thing to throw aside, and so committing suicide, apractice which was defended by many Stoics. 6 7F 2