Epictetus · Complete work
Chapter 33
Chapter 33 of 53. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Ancient Greek
[33.1] τάξον τινὰ ἤδη χαρακτῆρα σαυτῷ καὶ τύπον, ὃν φυλάξεις ἐπί τε σεαυτοῦ ὢν καὶ ἀνθρώποις ἐντυγχάνων.
[33.2] καὶ σιωπὴ τὸ πολὺ ἔστω ἢ λαλείσθω τὰ ἀναγκαῖα καὶ διʼ ὀλίγων. σπανίως δέ ποτε καιροῦ παρακαλοῦντος ἐπὶ τὸ λέγειν λέξον μέν, ἀλλὰ περὶ οὐδενὸς τῶν τυχόντων· μὴ περὶ μονομαχιῶν, μὴ περὶ ἱπποδρομιῶν, μὴ περὶ ἀθλητῶν, μὴ περὶ βρωμάτων ἢ πομάτων, τῶν ἑκασταχοῦ, μάλιστα δὲ μὴ περὶ ἀνθρώπων ψέγων ἢ ἐπαινῶν ἢ συγκρίνων.
[33.3] ἂν μὲν οὖν οἷός τε ᾖς, μετάγαγε τοῖς σοῖς λόγοις καὶ τοὺς τῶν συνόντων ἐπὶ τὸ προσῆκον. εἰ δὲ ἐν ἀλλοφύλοις ἀποληφθεὶς τύχοις, σιώπα.
[33.4] γέλως μὴ πολὺς ἔστω μηδὲ ἐπὶ πολλοῖς μηδὲ ἀνειμένος.
[33.5] ὅρκον παραίτησαι, εἰ μὲν οἷόν τε, εἰς ἅπαν, εἰ δὲ μή, ἐκ τῶν ἐνόντων. ἑστιάσεις τὰς ἔξω καὶ ἰδιωτικὰς διακρούου·
[33.6] ἐὰν δέ ποτε γίνηται καιρός, ἐντετάσθω σοι ἡ προσοχή, μήποτε ἄρα ὑπορρυῇς εἰς ἰδιωτισμόν. ἴσθι γάρ, ὅτι, ἐὰν ὁ ἑταῖρος ᾖ μεμολυσμένος, καὶ τὸν συνανατριβόμενον αὐτῷ συμμολύνεσθαι ἀνάγκη, κἂν αὐτὸς ὢν τύχῃ καθαρός.
[33.7] τὰ περὶ τὸ σῶμα μέχρι τῆς χρείας ψιλῆς παραλάμβανε, οἷον τροφάς, πόμα, ἀμπεχόνην, οἰκίαν, οἰκετίαν· τὸ δὲ πρὸς δόξαν ἢ τρυφὴν ἅπαν περίγραφε. περὶ ἀφροδίσια εἰς δύναμιν πρὸ γάμου καθαρευτέον·
[33.8] ἁπτομένῳ δὲ ὧν νόμιμόν ἐστι μεταληπτέον. μὴ μέντοι ἐπαχθὴς γίνου τοῖς χρωμένοις μηδὲ ἐλεγκτικός· μηδὲ πολλαχοῦ τὸ ὅτι αὐτὸς οὐ χρῇ, παράφερε.
[33.9] ἐὰν τίς σοι ἀπαγγείλῃ ὅτι ὁ δεῖνά σε κακῶς λέγει, μὴ ἀπολογοῦ πρὸς τὰ λεχθέντα, ἀλλʼ ἀποκρίνου διότι ἠγνόει γὰρ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ προσόντα μοι κακά, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἂν ταῦτα μόνα ἔλεγεν.
[33.10] εἰς τὰ θέατρα τὸ πολὺ παριέναι οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον. εἰ δέ ποτε καιρὸς εἴη, μηδενὶ σπουδάζων φαίνου ἢ σεαυτῷ, τοῦτʼ ἔστι. θέλε γίνεσθαι μόνα τὰ γινόμενα καὶ νικᾶν μόνον τὸν νικῶντα· οὕτω γὰρ οὐκ ἐμποδισθήσῃ. βοῆς δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἐπιγελᾶν τινι ἢ ἐπὶ πολὺ συγκινεῖσθαι παντελῶς ἀπέχου. καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀπαλλαγῆναι μὴ πολλὰ περὶ τῶν γεγενημένων διαλέγου, ὅσα μὴ φέρει πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἐπανόρθωσιν· ἐμφαίνεται γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ τοιούτου, ὅτι ἐθαύμασας τὴν θέαν.
[33.11] εἰς ἀκροάσεις τινῶν μὴ εἰκῇ μηδὲ ῥᾳδίως πάριθι· παριὼν δὲ τὸ σεμνὸν καὶ τὸ εὐσταθὲς καὶ ἅμα ἀνεπαχθὲς φύλασσε.
[33.12] ὅταν τινὶ μέλλῃς συμβαλεῖν, μάλιστα τῶν ἐν ὑπεροχῇ δοκούντων, πρόβαλε σαυτῷ, τί ἂν ἐποίησεν ἐν τούτῳ Σωκράτης ἢ Ζήνων, καὶ οὐκ ἀπορήσεις τοῦ χρήσασθαι προσηκόντως τῷ ἐμπεσόντι.
[33.13] ὅταν φοιτᾷς πρός τινα τῶν μέγα δυναμένων, πρόβαλε, ὅτι οὐχ εὑρήσεις αὐτὸν ἔνδον, ὅτι ἀποκλεισθήσῃ, ὅτι ἐντιναχθήσονταί σοι αἱ θύραι, ὅτι οὐ φροντιεῖ σου. κἂν σὺν τούτοις ἐλθεῖν καθήκῃ, ἐλθὼν φέρε τὰ γινόμενα καὶ μηδέποτε εἴπῃς αὐτὸς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ὅτι οὐκ ἦν τοσούτου· ἰδιωτικὸν γὰρ καὶ διαβεβλημένον πρὸς τὰ ἐκτός.
[33.14] ἐν ταῖς ὁμιλίαις ἀπέστω τὸ ἑαυτοῦ τινων ἔργων ἢ κινδύνων ἐπὶ πολὺ καὶ ἀμέτρως μεμνῆσθαι. οὐ γάρ, ὡς σοὶ ἡδύ ἐστι τὸ τῶν σῶν κινδύνων μεμνῆσθαι, οὕτω καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἡδύ ἐστι τὸ τῶν σοὶ συμβεβηκότων ἀκούειν.
[33.15] ἀπέστω δὲ καὶ τὸ γέλωτα κινεῖν· ὀλισθηρὸς γὰρ ὁ τρόπος εἰς ἰδιωτισμὸν καὶ ἅμα ἱκανὸς τὴν αἰδῶ τὴν πρὸς σὲ τῶν πλησίον ἀνιέναι.
[33.16] ἐπισφαλὲς δὲ καὶ τὸ εἰς αἰσχρολογίαν προελθεῖν. ὅταν οὖν τι συμβῇ τοιοῦτον, ἂν μὲν εὔκαιρον ᾖ, καὶ ἐπίπληξον τῷ προελθόντι· εἰ δὲ μή, τῷ γε ἀποσιωπῆσαι καὶ ἐρυθριᾶσαι καὶ σκυθρωπάσαι δῆλος γίνου δυσχεραίνων τῷ λόγῳ.
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from all 53 Ancient Greek chapters and 105 sections for fidelity, Stoic precision, clarity, structure, and cadence.
[33.1] From this moment establish for yourself a certain character and pattern of conduct, which you will preserve both when you are alone and when you meet with others.
[33.2] For the most part, keep silent, or say only what is necessary, and say it briefly. Rarely, when the occasion calls upon you to speak, do speak—but not about whatever happens to come up: not about gladiatorial combats, horse races, athletes, food or drink, the common topics everywhere, and above all not about people, whether blaming them, praising them, or comparing them.
[33.3] If you are able, use your own conversation to turn that of your companions toward what is fitting. But if you happen to find yourself isolated among strangers to philosophy, keep silent.
[33.4] Do not laugh much, or at many things, or without restraint.
[33.5] Refuse to swear an oath, if possible, altogether; if not, as far as circumstances permit. Avoid banquets given by outsiders and those unacquainted with philosophy;
[33.6] but if an occasion for attending one ever arises, keep your attention taut, lest you slip into vulgarity. For know that if a companion is polluted, the person who rubs shoulders with him must also become polluted, even if he himself happens to be pure.
[33.7] Take what concerns the body only to the point of bare necessity—food, drink, clothing, a house, household servants—and exclude entirely whatever serves display or luxury. As for sexual relations, preserve purity before marriage as far as you are able;
[33.8] but if you do engage in them, partake only of what is lawful. Yet do not become disagreeable or censorious toward those who do indulge, and do not continually parade the fact that you yourself abstain.
[33.9] If someone reports to you that a certain person is speaking ill of you, do not defend yourself against what has been said, but reply, “He was evidently ignorant of the other faults that belong to me, or he would not have mentioned only these.”
[33.10] It is generally unnecessary to attend public spectacles. But if an occasion for doing so ever arises, show yourself eager for no one’s success but your own; that is, wish only for what actually happens to happen, and only for the victor to be victorious. In this way you will not be hindered. Abstain altogether from shouting, laughing at anyone, or becoming excessively excited. And after you leave, do not talk at length about what happened, except insofar as it contributes to your own improvement; for such talk reveals that you were deeply impressed by the spectacle.
[33.11] Do not attend public lectures casually or readily; but when you do attend, preserve your dignity and composure without at the same time becoming disagreeable.
[33.12] Whenever you are about to meet someone, especially a person reputed to be eminent, set before yourself the question, “What would Socrates or Zeno have done in this situation?” Then you will not be at a loss to deal fittingly with whatever occurs.
[33.13] Whenever you go to visit someone of great power, set before yourself the likelihood that you will not find him at home, that you will be shut out, that the doors will be slammed in your face, and that he will pay no attention to you. And if, despite all this, it is your duty to go, then go and bear whatever happens, and never say to yourself, “It was not worth so much.” For that is vulgar and shows resentment toward external things.
[33.14] In conversation, refrain from dwelling immoderately and at length on your own deeds or dangers. For though it is pleasant to you to recall your dangers, it is not equally pleasant for others to hear about what happened to you.
[33.15] Refrain also from trying to provoke laughter; for this habit readily slides into vulgarity and is also liable to weaken your neighbors’ respect for you.
[33.16] It is dangerous also to descend into obscene language. Therefore, whenever anything of that kind occurs, if the occasion is suitable, rebuke the person who has descended to it; if it is not, make it plain that the talk displeases you by your silence, your blush, and your frown.
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from all 53 Ancient Greek chapters and 105 sections.
[33.1] Establish right now a certain character and pattern for yourself, which you will preserve both when you are by yourself and when you meet with other people.
[33.2] Be silent for the most part, or say only what is necessary, and say it briefly. On rare occasions, when the situation calls on you to speak, speak, but not about ordinary subjects—not about gladiatorial contests, horse races, athletes, food or drink, the usual topics everywhere, and especially not about people, whether blaming, praising, or comparing them.
[33.3] If you can, use your own conversation to lead the conversation of your companions toward what is appropriate. But if you happen to find yourself isolated among strangers, keep silent.
[33.4] Do not laugh a great deal, or at many things, or without restraint.
[33.5] Refuse to swear an oath, if possible, under all circumstances; if that is not possible, refuse as far as circumstances allow. Avoid banquets given by outsiders and by people unfamiliar with philosophy;
[33.6] but if an occasion to attend one ever arises, keep your attention sharply focused so that you do not slip into the behavior of an ordinary person. For know that if your companion is polluted, anyone who rubs shoulders with him will inevitably become polluted as well, even if he himself happens to be clean.
[33.7] Take what concerns the body only to the point of bare necessity, such as food, drink, clothing, a house, and a household; completely exclude everything intended for prestige or luxury. As for sex, keep yourself pure before marriage as far as you are able;
[33.8] but if you do engage in it, take part only in what is lawful. Still, do not become burdensome or censorious toward those who engage in sex, and do not constantly advertise the fact that you yourself do not.
[33.9] If someone reports to you that a certain person is speaking badly of you, do not defend yourself against what has been said. Instead, reply, “He clearly did not know about my other faults, or he would not have mentioned only these.”
[33.10] It is not necessary to attend public spectacles often. But if an occasion to attend one ever arises, show that you are taking sides with no one but yourself; that is, want only what actually happens to happen, and only the actual winner to win. In this way you will not be frustrated. Completely refrain from shouting, laughing at anyone, or becoming excessively excited. After you leave, do not talk much about what happened except insofar as it contributes to your own improvement. For such talk reveals that you were impressed by the spectacle.
[33.11] Do not attend people’s lectures casually or without careful thought. But when you do attend, preserve your dignity and composure while at the same time avoiding being disagreeable.
[33.12] Whenever you are about to meet someone, especially someone regarded as eminent, set before yourself the question of what Socrates or Zeno would have done in this situation, and you will have no difficulty dealing appropriately with whatever occurs.
[33.13] Whenever you visit someone with great power, set before yourself the possibilities that you will not find him at home, that you will be shut out, that the doors will be slammed in your face, and that he will pay no attention to you. If it is still your duty to go despite these things, then go and bear whatever happens, and never say to yourself, “It was not worth that much.” For that is the response of an ordinary person who is at odds with external things.
[33.14] In conversation, refrain from talking at length and without restraint about your own deeds or dangers. For although it is pleasant for you to recall your dangers, it is not equally pleasant for others to hear about the things that have happened to you.
[33.15] Refrain also from trying to provoke laughter. For this behavior easily slips into vulgarity and is also likely to weaken your neighbors’ respect for you.
[33.16] It is also dangerous to drift into obscene talk. Whenever something of this kind occurs, if the occasion is suitable, rebuke the person who has resorted to it. If it is not, make your displeasure with the talk clear by remaining silent, blushing, and looking stern.