Works by Epictetus. Epictetus. Epictetus. Philosophy, Epictetus taught, is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline.
To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control; we should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Life[edit] Epictetus was born c. 55 AD,[2] presumably at Hierapolis, Phrygia.[3] The name his parents gave him is unknown; the word epíktetos (ἐπίκτητος) in Greek simply means "acquired. " He spent his youth as a slave in Rome to Epaphroditos, a wealthy freedman and secretary to Nero.[4]