Epictetus · Complete work
Chapter 48
Chapter 48 of 53. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Ancient Greek
[48.1] ἰδιώτου στάσις καὶ χαρακτήρ· οὐδέποτε ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ προσδοκᾷ ὠφέλειαν ἢ βλάβην, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξω. φιλοσόφου στάσις καὶ χαρακτήρ· πᾶσαν ὠφέλειαν καὶ βλάβην ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ προσδοκᾷ.
[48.2] σημεῖα προκόπτοντος· οὐδένα ψέγει, οὐδένα ἐπαινεῖ, οὐδένα μέμφεται, οὐδενὶ ἐγκαλεῖ, οὐδὲν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγει ὡς ὄντος τινὸς ἢ εἰδότος τι. ὅταν ἐμποδισθῇ τι ἢ κωλυθῇ, ἑαυτῷ ἐγκαλεῖ. κἄν τις αὐτὸν ἐπαινῇ, καταγελᾷ τοῦ ἐπαινοῦντος αὐτὸς παρʼ ἑαυτῷ· κἂν ψέγῃ, οὐκ ἀπολογεῖται. περίεισι δὲ καθάπερ οἱ ἄρρωστοι, εὐλαβούμενός τι κινῆσαι τῶν καθισταμένων, πρὶν πῆξιν λαβεῖν.
[48.3] ὄρεξιν ἅπασαν ἦρκεν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ· τὴν δʼ ἔκκλισιν εἰς μόνα τὰ παρὰ φύσιν τῶν ἐφʼ ἡμῖν μετατέθεικεν. ὁρμῇ πρὸς ἅπαντα ἀνειμένῃ χρῆται. ἂν ἠλίθιος ἢ ἀμαθὴς δοκῇ, οὐ πεφρόντικεν. ἐνί τε λόγῳ, ὡς ἐχθρὸν ἑαυτὸν παραφυλάσσει καὶ ἐπίβουλον.
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.
[48.1] The position and character of a layman: he never expects benefit or harm to come from himself, but from external things. The position and character of a philosopher: he expects every benefit and harm to come from himself.
[48.2] Signs of one who is making progress: he censures no one, praises no one, blames no one, accuses no one, and says nothing about himself as though he were someone of importance or knew something. Whenever he is hindered or prevented in anything, he accuses himself. If someone praises him, he privately laughs at the person who praises him; and if someone censures him, he makes no defense. He goes about like a convalescent, careful not to disturb any part that is healing before it has grown firm.
[48.3] He has removed every desire from himself, and has transferred his aversion solely to those things contrary to nature that are within our control. He employs his impulses toward everything with restraint. If he appears foolish or ignorant, he does not care. In a word, he keeps watch over himself as though he were an enemy lying in ambush.
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from all 53 Ancient Greek chapters and 105 sections.
[48.1] The position and character of an ordinary person: he never expects benefit or harm to come from himself, but from external things. The position and character of a philosopher: he expects every benefit and harm to come from himself.
[48.2] Signs of someone who is making progress: he criticizes no one, praises no one, blames no one, accuses no one, and says nothing about himself as though he were somebody or knew something. Whenever he is hindered or prevented from doing something, he blames himself. If someone praises him, he privately laughs at the person praising him; and if someone criticizes him, he does not defend himself. He goes about like someone recovering from an illness, taking care not to disturb anything that is being restored before it has become firmly settled.
[48.3] He has removed every desire from himself, and has transferred his aversion solely to those things within his control that are contrary to nature. He employs a relaxed impulse toward everything. If he appears foolish or ignorant, he does not care. In a word, he keeps watch over himself as though he were an enemy lying in ambush.