Volume 1 - Discourses - Books I - II - College of Stoic Philosophers

INTRODUCTIONwhich Halbauer in a valuable study has most clearlystated thus (p. 56): "The Diatribae are not thecurriculum proper, nor even a part of that curriculum.On the contrary, this consisted of readingsfrom the Stoic writings, while the Diatribaeaccompany the formal instruction, dwell on thispoint or on that., which Epictetus regarded as ofspecial importance, above all give him an opportunityfor familiar discourse with his pupils, andfor discussing with them in a friendly spirit theirpersonal affairs." They are not, therefore, a formalpresentation of Stoic philosophy, so that it is unfairto criticize their lack of system and their relativeneglect of logic and physics, upon which the otherStoics laid such stress, for they were not designedas formal lectures, and the class exercises had dweltsatis superque, as Epictetus must have felt, uponthe physics and logic, which were after all onlythe foundation of conduct, the subject in whichhe was primarily interested. They are class-roomcomment, in the frank and open spirit which wascharacteristic of the man, containingnot a little ofwhat we should now be inclined to restrict to aprivate conference, often closely connected, nodoubt, with the readings and themes, but quite asoften, apparently, little more than obiter dicta.11 Of. Bonhoffer, 1890, 22. The arrangement of topics byArrian is a point which, seems not to have been discussedas fully as it deserves. Hartmann's view, that the orderis that of exact chronological sequence, seems to be anexaggeration of what may be in the main correct, but Ithink I can trace evidences of a somewhat formal nature insome of the groupings, and it seems not unlikely that a fewof the chapters contain remarks delivered on several occasions.However, this is a point which requires an elaborateinvestigation and cannot be discussed here.xvVOL. I.b