Discourses
The Discourses are the surviving four books of recorded lectures Epictetus delivered at his philosophy school in Nicopolis around 108 CE, transcribed by his student Arrian. Each chapter takes up a question of Stoic practice, from grief to friendship to political duty, and works through it the way a teacher works through a problem with a roomful of students. Epictetus moves between Socratic questioning, sharp rhetoric, and patient instruction, refusing to let any student off the hook. Marcus Aurelius read the Discourses, James Stockdale memorized them in captivity, and they remain the longest and richest record of any Roman Stoic teacher at work.
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What you might want to know about Discourses
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Four surviving books of philosophy lectures by the Roman Stoic Epictetus, recorded by his student Arrian around 108 CE at the Nicopolis school.
Yes. Epictetus's Discourses date to the late 1st and early 2nd century AD and are in the public domain. Free editions of older translations are available legally through Project Gutenberg. Modern translations remain copyrighted.
The Enchiridion is the shorter handbook compiled from the Discourses by Arrian, Epictetus's student. Many readers start with the Enchiridion (around 50 pages) before tackling the much longer Discourses.
Discourses was written by Epictetus, published in 1800 by NuVision Publications.
Discourses is 316 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Discourses takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
Discourses is a standalone novel by Epictetus, not part of a series.
Discourses is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
