Ch. 2
How a man on every occasion can maintain his proper character.
To the rational animal only is the irrational intolerable;
but that which is rational is tolerable. Blows are not
naturally intolerable. How is that? See how the Lacedaemonians17 endure whipping when they have learned that
whipping is consistent with reason. To hang yourself is
not intolerable. When then you have the opinion that it
is rational, you go and hang yourself. In short, if we
observe, we shall find that the animal man is pained by
nothing so much as by that which is irrational; and, on
the contrary, attracted to nothing so much as to that
which is rational.
But the rational and the irrational appear such in a
different way to different persons, just as the good and the
bad, the profitable and the unprofitable. For this reason,
particularly, we need discipline, in order to learn how to
adapt the preconception18 of the rational and the irrational
to the several things conformably to nature. But in order
to determine the rational and the irrational, we use not
only the estimates of external things, but we consider also
[p. 9]
what is appropriate to each person. For to one man it is
consistent with reason to hold a chamber pot for another,
and to look to this only, that if he does not hold it, he will
receive stripes, and he will not receive his food: but if he
shall hold the pot, he will not suffer anything hard or disagreeable. But to another man not only does the holding
of a chamber pot appear intolerable for himself, but intolerable also for him to allow another to do this office for
him. If then you ask me whether you should hold the
chamber pot or not, I shall say to you that the receiving
of food is worth more than the not receiving of it, and the
being scourged is a greater indignity than not being
scourged; so that if you measure your interests by these
things, go and hold the chamber pot. But this, you
say, would not be worthy of me. Well then, it is you
who must introduce this consideration into the inquiry,
not I; for it is you who know yourself, how much you are
worth to yourself, and at what price you sell yourself; for
men sell themselves at various prices.
For this reason, when Florus was deliberating whether
he should go down to Nero's19 spectacles, and also perform
in them himself, Agrippinus said to him, Go down:
and when Florus asked Agrippinus, Why do not you go
down? Agrippinus replied, Because I do not even deliberate about the matter. For he who has once brought
himself to deliberate about such matters, and to calculate
the value of external things, comes very near to those
who have forgotten their own character. For why do you
ask me the question, whether death is preferable or life?
I say life. Pain or pleasure? I say pleasure. But if I
do not take a part in the tragic acting, I shall have my
head struck off. Go then and take a part, but I will not.
Why? Because you consider yourself to be only one
thread of those which are in the tunic. Well then it was
fitting for you to take care how you should be like the rest
of men, just as the thread has no design to be anything
[p. 10]
superior to the other threads. But I wish to be purple,20
that small part which is bright, and makes all the rest
appear graceful and beautiful. Why then do you tell me
to make myself like the many? and if I do, how shall I
still be purple?
Priscus Helvidius21 also saw this, and acted conformably.
For when Vespasian sent and commanded him not to go
into the senate, he replied, It is in your power not to
allow me to be a member of the senate, but so long as I
am, I must go in. Well, go in then, says the emperor, but say nothing. Do not ask my opinion, and
I will be silent. But I must ask your opinion. And
I must say what I think right. But if you do, I
shall put you to death. When then did I tell you
that I am immortal? You will do your part, and I
will do mine: it is your part to kill; it is mine to die,
but not in fear: yours to banish me; mine to depart
without sorrow.
What good then did Priscus do, who was only a single
person? And what good does the purple do for the toga?
Why, what else than this, that it is conspicuous in the
toga as purple, and is displayed also as a fine example to
all other things? But in such circumstances another
would have replied to Caesar who forbade him to enter the
senate, I thank you for sparing me. But such a man
Vespasian would not even have forbidden to enter the
senate, for he knew that he would either sit there like an
earthen vessel, or, if he spoke, he would say what Caesar
wished, and add even more.
[p. 11]
In this way an athlete also acted who was in danger of
dying unless his private parts were amputated. His
brother came to the athlete, who was a philosopher, and
said, Come, brother, what are you going to do? Shall we
amputate this member and return to the gymnasium?
But the athlete persisted in his resolution and died.
When some one asked Epictetus, How he did this, as an
athlete or a philosopher? As a man, Epictetus replied,
and a man who had been proclaimed among the athletes at
the Olympic games and had contended in them, a man who
had been familiar with such a place, and not merely
anointed in Baton's school.22 Another would have allowed
even his head to be cut off, if he could have lived without
it. Such is that regard to character which is so strong in
those who have been accustomed to introduce it of themselves and conjoined with other things into their deliberations.
Come then, Epictetus, shave23 yourself. If I am a philosopher, I answer, I will not shave myself. But I will take
off your head? If that will do you any good, take it off.
Some person asked, how then shall every man among
us perceive what is suitable to his character? How, he
replied, does the bull alone, when the lion has attacked,
discover his own powers and put himself forward in
defence of the whole herd? It is plain that with the
powers the perception of having them is immediately conjoined: and, therefore, whoever of us has such powers
will not be ignorant of them. Now a bull is not made suddenly, nor a brave man; but we must discipline ourselves
in the winter for the summer campaign, and not rashly
run upon that which does not concern us.
Only consider at what price you sell your own will: if
for no other reason, at least for this, that you sell it not for
a small sum. But that which is great and superior perhaps
[p. 12]
belongs to Socrates and such as are like him. Why
then, if we are naturally such, are not a very great number
of us like him? Is it true then that all horses become
swift, that all dogs are skilled in tracking footprints?
What then, since I am naturally dull, shall I, for this
reason, take no pains? I hope not. Epictetus is not
superior to Socrates; but if he is not inferior,24 this is
enough for me; for I shall never be a Milo,25 and yet I do
not neglect my body; nor shall I be a Croesus, and yet I
do not neglect my property; nor, in a word, do we neglect
looking after anything because we despair of reaching the
highest degree.
