Art of Living

The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Epictetus, translated by Sharon Lebell, 113 pages

Epictetus was a Stoic philosopher and rhetor of the early 2nd century.  Born a slave, by the time of his death he was widely known and respected - amongst his admirers were the Emperor Hadrian and the future Emperor Marcus Aurelius.  His lectures were reconstructed by his disciple Flavius Arrian as The Discourses, which originally consisted of eight books (four survive).  The Enchiridion ("Handbook" or "Manual") is a distillation of Epictetus' teachings into a set of brief lessons, designed for an audience that would be bored or confused by the full Discourses.

This is the starting point for Lebell's translation of this classic - to render Epictetus in language that appeals to a mass audience.  Purists should not be too offended - despite the occasional lapse into the vulgarity of self-help jargon, Lebell generally accurately captures the meaning of the original.  Certainly, she doesn't attempt to soften Epictetus' message that the "good life" is a life spent in continual pursuit of the good, which means a life of rigorous virtue and detachment from worldly pleasures.

An easy introduction to a great classical philosopher.