14,672 words over 124 pages

Dust Cover

In the summer of the Pandemic/ Riot Year of 2020, in a land of masked fear, the author found the Enchiridion [handbook] of Epictetus [Acquired-property], the ancient stoic philosopher born a slave in an empire built on the enslavement of his race. By the 5th of 51passages, it became obvious that the ancient cripple, his leg broken by a cruel master or born lame [the sources disagree] knew more of 21st Century America than anyone currently living in it. The Giver is a postmodern resident alien’s impressions of the Stoicism of Epictetus as an ancient mirror on Modern Man’s troubled plight.

Presentation

Epictetus’, guiding principles for navigating the lies, hysteria, cruelty and bondage of civilization, are not here quoted in full as they were by his student Arrian. The language is too oblique for the normalized modern mind. I learned to appreciate ancient thought largely reading the Loeb collection at the Peabody Conservatory from 1998 thru 2000. The books featured the Greek or Latin on the left hand page and the English translation on the facing right hand page.

For this exercise the most crucial and clearly worded portion of Epictetus’s advice for navigating the madness of life will be quoted on the left page, here, as the Presentation, from George Long’s 1991 Prometheus Books translation.

Footnotes, if any, shall be confined to this page.

Reflection

How might Epictetus’ insights from so long ago illuminate our current plight, stuck as we are in a world where we are compelled to stare into the falsehoods and lies of a cruel gaslight?

I will use my limited understanding of his perspective gleaned from reading the literature of his age and awkwardly dreaming race and language—and those of the practically brutal race that oppressed His—and my alienated perception of our own troubled times to render an impression of each of his deeply rambling insights. For this exercise, such correlations and impressions will be recorded here, on the facing right hand page, as the Reflection.

Thanks to my Land Lady for the loan of this book and for playing the piano as I write, even as the promised comforts of day turn to the anguish of howling night.

Contents

Presentation 5

Reflection 6

1-A: Things 11

1-B: Appearances 13

2: Hope and Desire 15

4: Action 19

5: Terror and Grief 21

6: Elation and Excellence 23

7: Life as a Voyage 25

9: Body and Soul 29

10: On Suffering Accidents 31

11: Loss and Restoration 33

12: Abundance and Disturbance 35

13: Externals 37

14: Power over Things 39

15: With the Gods 41

16: Sorrow and Lament 43

17: Dutiful Action 45

18: Signs 47

19: Power 49

20: Insults and Injuries 51

21: Death and Desire 53

22: Ridicule 55

23: Being a Philosopher 57

24-A: Honor 59

24-B: Money 61

25: Obtaining 63

26: Woe 65

27: Evil 67

28: Power 69

29-A: Acts 71

29-B: Faculty 73

30: Wrong 75

31: Piety 77

32: Divination 79

33: Character 81

34: Pleasure 83

35: Fear of Doing 85

36: Entertainment 87

37: Assumption of Character 89

38: Care 91

39: Property 93

40: Women 95

41: The Mind 97

42: The Person Deceived 99

43: Brotherhood 101

44: Possession and Speech 103

45: Comprehension 105

46: Among the Uninstructed 107

47: The Poor 109

48: The Uninstructed Person 111

49: Interpretation 113

50: Rules 115

51: Truth and Lie 119

52: Into Eternity 121

A Perspective 123