23.1 ἐάν ποτέ σοι γένηται ἔξω στραφῆναι πρὸς τὸ βούλεσθαι ἀρέσαι τινί, ἴσθι ὅτι ἀπώλεσας τὴν ἔνστασιν. ἀρκοῦ οὖν ἐν παντὶ τῷ εἶναι φιλόσοφος· εἰ δὲ καὶ δοκεῖν βούλει, σαυτῷ φαίνου καὶ ἱκανόν ἐστι.

On Pursuing Externals to Please Someone

Pursuing externals to please someone will result in the loss of one’s philosophical disposition.

ἔξω: “outward,” “to external things”

στραφῆναι: > στρέφω, aor. pass. infin. functioning as the subject of γένηται

πρὸς τὸ βούλεσθαι: acc. art. infin. in a prep. phrase indicating purpose: “with a view toward desiring to” (G. 574–575; S. 2034b)

ἀρέσαι: > ἀρέσκω, aor. act. infin.

ἴσθι: > οἶδα, 2sg. perf. act. imper. introducing indirect statement with ὅτι (S. 2577)

ἀπώλεσας: > ἀπόλλυμι, 2 sg. aor. act. ind.

ἀρκοῦ: "be satisfied with," LSJ ἀρκέω IV, 2sg. pres. mid./pass. imper. + dat.; in this case the dative is the articular infinitive τῷ εἶναι.

καὶ δοκεῖν: “also to appear (to be a philosopher)”

φαίνου: > φαίνω, “seem (to be a philosopher),” 2 sg. pres. mid. imper.

στρέφω, στρέψω, ἔστρεψα, to turn (toward), twist, strain

ἀρέσκω, ἀρέσω, ἤρεσα, to please, satisfy, be content + dat.

ἔνστασις, εως, ἡ, way of life

ἀρκέω, to be sufficient; (pass.) to be content with + dat. 

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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-23