Epictetus was a Stoic philosopher who rose from slavery to become one of antiquity's most influential teachers of ethics. Born a slave in Hierapolis (modern Turkey), Epictetus was brought to Rome where his owner allowed him to study philosophy. Freed eventually, he taught in Rome until Emperor Domitian expelled philosophers, after which he established a school in Greece.
Epictetus taught that the key to freedom and happiness is distinguishing what is 'up to us' (our judgments, impulses, and desires) from what is not (health, wealth, reputation, and external circumstances). We suffer not from events but from our judgments about them. The Enchiridion (Handbook) summarizes his practical wisdom.
Epictetus's philosophy was recorded by his student Arrian, like Socrates' by Plato. His influence extends through Marcus Aurelius (who quoted him constantly), Christian monasticism, modern cognitive behavioral therapy, and Stoicism's contemporary revival. As a former slave teaching that true freedom is internal, Epictetus embodies Stoic philosophy's radical egalitarianism.