AI Summary
5 min readThe Roman emperor Hadrian had everything—an army, advisors, the power to summon anyone in the known world. Yet he traveled more than five hundred miles from Rome to the Greek city of Nicopolis to attend the lectures of a former slave named Epictetus. The emperor sat like an eager student at the feet of a man whose name literally meant "acquired one." As the host of The Daily Stoic points out, there is something poetic in that reversal: in this instance, the slave was the master, the powerless conquered the powerful.
This episode launches "Epictetus Month" on the podcast, a deep dive into the life, lessons, and legacy of one of history's greatest philosophers. The central question is straightforward: Isn't this power—the ability to make your mind your own, to reverse fortune as Epictetus did—what we're all after?
The Philosopher Versus the Conqueror
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **NetSuite Ad** - A promotional segment for NetSuite's AI-powered business management suite.
- 2 (01:29) **Introduction: The Power of Epictetus** - The host introduces the episode's theme by contrasting the worldly power of Emperor Hadrian with the philosophical power of the former slave Epictetus.
- 3 (03:06) **Epictetus Month Announcement** - The host declares July as Epictetus Month on the Daily Stoic podcast, a deep dive into his life, lessons, and legacy.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Why is that self-command and self-knowledge so elusive? How can we find it?
💡 We designed our How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Stoic Guide) as a personal field guide —part book club, part masterclass, part daily practice. It’s designed to help you not just read the words of Epictetus, but live them—to turn his timeless wisdom into real change in your own life and the lives of those around you.
And if you get the guide before August 27th, you’ll receive a private invitation to an exclusive LIVE Q&A with Ryan Holiday, where he’ll go deep on all things Epictetus, Stoicism, and how to apply these ideas right now, in today’s world. Head to dailystoic.com/epictetuscourse to learn more and get your book, guide, and bundle today!
👉 Get How To Read Epictetus (A Daily Stoic Guide) & all other Daily Stoic courses for FREE when you join Daily Stoic Life | dailystoic.com/life
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