Chapter 44

44.1 Οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι ἀσύνακτοι· «ἐγώ σου πλουσιώτερός εἰμι, ἐγώ σου ἄρα κρείττων·» «ἐγώ σου λογιώτερος, ἐγώ σου ἄρα κρείττων.» ἐκεῖνοι δὲ μᾶλλον συνακτικοί «ἐγώ σου πλουσιώτερός εἰμι, ἡ ἐμὴ ἄρα κτῆσις τῆς σῆς κρείττων·» «ἐγώ σου λογιώτερος, ἡ ἐμὴ ἄρα λέξις τῆς σῆς κρείττων.» σὺ δέ γε οὔτε κτῆσις εἶ οὔτε λέξις.

You Are Not Better because You Have Money

Wealth or eloquence does not by itself make one person superior (κρείττων) to another. See Diss. 3.14.11–14: we can be superior to another person only in matters which are in our control, such as virtue, reverence, justice.

σου: gen. of comparison (G 509b; S. 1069 and 1431)


ἀσύνακτος, -ον, illogical, incomplete

πλούσιος, -α, -ον, rich, wealthy

λόγιος, -α, -ον, eloquent

συνακτικός, -ή, -όν, logical, conclusive

κτῆσις, -εως, ἡ, possession, property

λέξις, -εως, ἡ, diction, eloquence

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Suggested Citation

Albert Watanabe, Epictetus: Encheiridion. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-947822-13-9.
https://dcc.dickinson.edu/epictetus-encheiridion/chapter-44