Chapter 6

Do Not Take Pride in What Is Not You

Epictetus advises that we take pride in our own good rather than that of someone or something else (e.g. a horse we own). What is our good? It is the use or management of our impressions in accordance with nature. See Introduction, Assent.

ἐπαρθῇς: > ἐπαίρω, 2 sg. aor. pass. subj. in a prohibition with μή as the negative (here the negative appears in ἐπὶ μηδενὶ . . . προτερήματι (G. 473; S. 1840).

εἰ ὁ ἵππος ... ἔλεγεν, ... οἱστον ἅν ἧν: present contrary to fact condition (G. 649; S. 2292.1)

λέγῃς: > λέγω, 2 sg. pres. act. subj. in a temporal clause, equivalent to conditional + imperative construction

ἴσθι: > οἷδα, 2 sg. pres. act. imper.

ἐπαίρῃ: > ἐπαίρω, 2 sg. pres. pass. ind.

ὥσθ’: τ becomes θ before a vowel with a rough breathing. ὥστε is here being used at the beginning of the sentence to denote a firm conclusion or inference: “and so,” “therefore” (LSJ ὥστε II.2).

κατὰ φύσιν σχῇς: > ἔχω, “stay in accordance with nature.” σχῇς: 2 sg. aor. act. subj. in its adverbial use (see 4.1 κατὰ φύσιν ἔχουσαν with note).

ἐπάρθητι: > ἐπαίρω, “be proud,” 2 sg. aor. pass. imper.

ἐπαρθήσῃ: > ἐπαίρω, 2 sg. fut. pass. ind.