o marry, to beget
children, to fill the usual magistracies. For you are not come to select
more pleasant places, but to live in these where you were born and of
which you were made a citizen. Something of the kind takes place in the
matter which we are considering. Since by the aid of speech and such
communication as you receive here you must advance to perfection, and
purge your will and correct the faculty which makes use of the
appearances of things; and since it is necessary also for the teaching
(delivery) of theorems to be effected by a certain mode of expression
and with a certain variety and sharpness, some persons captivated by
these very things abide in them, one captivated by the expression,
another by syllogisms, another again by sophisms, and still another by
some other inn ([Greek: paudocheiou]) of the kind; and there they stay
and waste away as they were among sirens.

Man, your purpose (business) was to make yourself capable of using
conformably to nature the appearances presented to you, in your desires
not to be frustrated, in your aversion from things not to fall into that
which you would avoid, never to have no luck (as one may say), nor ever
to have bad luck, to be free, not hindered, not compelled, conforming
yourself to the administration of Zeus, obeying it, well satisfied with
this, blaming no one, charging no one with fault, able from your whole
soul to utter these verses:

Lead me, O Zeus, and thou too Destiny.

* * * * *

TO (OR AGAINST) A PERSON WHO WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO WERE NOT VALUED
(ESTEEMED) BY HIM.--A certain person said to him (Epictetus): Frequently
I desired to hear you and came to you, and you never gave me any answer;
and now, if it is possible, I entreat you to say something to me. Do you
think, said Epictetus, that as there is an art in anything else, so
there is also an art in speaking, and that he who has the art, will
speak skilfully, and he who has not, will speak unskilfully?--I do think
so.--He then who by speaking receives benefit himself, and is able to
benefit others, will speak skilfully; but he who is rather damaged by
speaking and does damage to others, will he be unskilled in this art of
speaking? And you may find that some are damaged and others benefited by
speaking. And are all who hear benefited by what they hear? Or will you
find that among them also some are benefited and some damaged? There are
both among these also, he sa