29.1 ἑκάστου ἔργου σκόπει τὰ καθηγούμενα καὶ τὰ ἀκόλουθα αὐτοῦ καὶ οὕτως ἔρχου ἐπ' αὐτό˙ εἰ δὲ μή, τὴν μὲν πρώτην προθύμως ἥξεις ἅτε μηδὲν τῶν ἑξῆς ἐντεθυμημένος, ὕστερον δὲ ἀναφανέντων τινῶν αἰσχρῶν ἀποστήσῃ. 29.2 θέλεις Ὀλύμπια νικῆσαι; κἀγώ, νὴ τοὺς θεούς· κομψὸν γάρ ἐστιν. ἀλλὰ σκόπει τὰ καθηγούμενα καὶ τὰ ἀκόλουθα καὶ οὕτως ἅπτου τοῦ ἔργου. δεῖ εὐτακτεῖν, ἀναγκοτροφεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι πεμμάτων, γυμνάζεσθαι πρὸς ἀνάγκην, ἐν ὥρᾳ τεταγμένῃ, ἐν καύματι, ἐν ψύχει, μὴ ψυχρὸν πίνειν, μὴ οἶνον, ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἁπλῶς ὡς ἰατρῷ παραδεδωκέναι σεαυτὸν τῷ ἐπιστάτῃ, εἶτα ἐν τῷ ἀγῶνι παρέρχεσθαι, ἔστι δὲ ὅτε χεῖρα βαλεῖν, σφυρὸν στρέψαι, πολλὴν ἁφὴν καταπιεῖν, ἔσθ' ὅτε μαστιγωθῆναι καὶ μετὰ τούτων πάντων νικηθῆναι. 29.3 ταῦτα ἐπισκεψάμενος, ἂν ἔτι θέλῃς, ἔρχου ἐπὶ τὸ ἀθλεῖν. εἰ δὲ μή, ὡς τὰ παιδία ἀναστραφήσῃ, ἃ νῦν μὲν παλαιστὰς παίζει, νῦν δὲ μονομάχους, νῦν δὲ σαλπίζει, εἶτα τραγῳδεῖ. οὕτω καὶ σὺ νῦν μὲν ἀθλητής, νῦν δὲ μονομάχος, εἶτα ῥήτωρ, εἶτα φιλόσοφος, ὅλῃ δὲ τῇ ψυχῇ οὐδέν· ἀλλ' ὡς πίθηκος πᾶσαν θέαν ἐὰν ἴδῃς μιμῇ καὶ ἄλλο ἐξ ἄλλου σοι ἀρέσκει. οὐ γὰρ μετὰ σκέψεως ἦλθες ἐπί τι οὐδὲ περιοδεύσας, ἀλλ' εἰκῇ καὶ κατὰ ψυχρὰν ἐπιθυμίαν. 29.4 οὕτω θεασάμενοί τινες φιλόσοφον καὶ ἀκούσαντες οὕτω τινὸς λέγοντος ὡς εὖ Σωκράτης λέγει (καίτοι τίς οὕτω δύναται εἰπεῖν ὡς ἐκεῖνος;) θέλουσι καὶ αὐτοὶ φιλοσοφεῖν. 29.5 ἄνθρωπε, πρῶτον ἐπίσκεψαι, ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, εἶτα καὶ τὴν σεαυτοῦ φύσιν κατάμαθε, εἰ δύνασαι βαστάσαι. πένταθλος εἶναι βούλει ἢ παλαιστής; ἴδε σεαυτοῦ τοὺς βραχίονας, τοὺς μηρούς, τὴν ὀσφὺν κατάμαθε. 29.6 ἄλλος γὰρ πρὸς ἄλλο πέφυκε. δοκεῖς, ὅτι ταῦτα ποιῶν ὡσαύτως δύνασαι ἐσθίειν, ὡσαύτως πίνειν, ὁμοίως ὀργίζεσθαι, ὁμοίως δυσαρεστεῖν; ἀγρυπνῆσαι δεῖ, πονῆσαι, ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἀπελθεῖν, ὑπὸ παιδαρίου καταφρονηθῆναι, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπάντων καταγελασθῆναι, ἐν παντὶ ἧττον ἔχειν, ἐν τιμῇ, ἐν ἀρχῇ, ἐν δίκῃ, ἐν πραγματίῳ παντί. 29.7 ταῦτα ἐπίσκεψαι, εἰ θέλεις ἀντικαταλλάξασθαι τούτων ἀπάθειαν, ἐλευθερίαν, ἀταραξίαν· εἰ δὲ μή, μὴ πρόσαγε. μὴ ὡς τὰ παιδία νῦν φιλόσοφος, ὕστερον δὲ τελώνης, εἶτα ῥήτωρ, εἶτα ἐπίτροπος Καίσαρος. ταῦτα οὐ συμφωνεῖ. ἕνα σε δεῖ ἄνθρωπον ἢ ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακὸν εἶναι· ἢ τὸ ἡγεμονικόν σε δεῖ ἐξεργάζεσθαι τοῖς αὑτοῦ ἢ τὰ ἐκτὸς· ἢ περὶ τὰ ἔσω φιλοτεχνεῖν ἢ περὶ τὰ ἔξω· τουτέστιν ἢ φιλοσόφου τάξιν ἐπέχειν ἢ ἰδιώτου.

    Boter's edition prints ch. 29 in brackets. While one of the two branches of the manuscript tradition has the whole or part of ch. 29, it is absent from the other branch. About 550 CE Simplicius wrote a commentary on the Encheiridion, and in the first half of the fifth century writers composed paraphrases adapted for Christians. These Christian paraphrases omit the chapter, and Simplicius in his commentary does not discuss it. I agree with Boter that it is a later interpolation. See preface.

    καθηγέομαι, to lead + gen.  

    ἀκόλουθος, -ον, following + gen.  

    προθύμως, -ον, adv., willingly, eagerly

    ἑξῆς, adverb, next

    ἅτε, on the grounds that/seeing that + part.

    ἐνθυμέομαι, -ήσομαι, ἐνεθυμήθην, to ponder, take into consideration

    ἀναφαίνω, -φανῶ, ἀνέφηνα, to appear

    αἰσχρός, -ά, -όν, shameful, reproachful

    ἀφίστημι, ἀποστήσω, ἀπέστησα, to leave off, give up

    29.2

    τά Ὀλύμπια, the Olympic games

    νή, particle of strong affirmation

    κομψός, ή, όν, good, fine

    καθηγέομαι, to lead

    ἀκόλουθος, -ον,  following

    ἅπτω, ἅψω, ἥψα, to grasp, obtain, engage in, undertake (+ gen)

    εὐτακτέω, to behave well, act in an orderly way

    ἀναγκοτροφέω, to eat moderately

    ἀπέχω, ἀφέξω, ἀπέσχον, to keep away from, refrain from + gen.  

    πέμμα, -ατος, τό, pastry, cake

    γυμνάζω, -άσω, ἐγύμνασα, to train, exercise

    ὥρα, -ας, ἡ, period of time. 

    καῦμα, -ατος, τό, heat

    ψῦχος, -εος, τό, cold

    ψυχρὸν, cold (drink), cold (water)

    οἶνος, -ου, ὁ, wine. 

    ἰατρός, -ου, ὁ, doctor

    ἐπιστάτης, -ου, ὁ, overseer, trainer

    σφυρὸν, -οῦ, τό, ankle

    στρέφω, στρέψω, ἔστρεψα, to turn, twist

    ἁφή, -ῆς, sand, dust

    καταπίνω, to swallow

    μαστιγόω, -ώσω, -ωσα, to whip

    29.3

    ἐπισκέπτομαι, ἐπισκέψομαι, ἐπεσκεψάμην, to examine, consider

    ἀθλέω, ἀθλήσω, ἤθλησα, to contend, compete

    ἀναστρέφω, ἀναστρέψω, ἀνέστρεψα, to turn back 

    παλαιστής, -οῦ, ὁ, wrestler

    παίζω, παιξοῦμαι, ἔπαισα, to play

    μονομάχος, -ου, ὁ, gladiator

    σαλπίζω, σαλπίσω, ἐσάλπιγξα, to play a trumpet

    τραγῳδέω, τραγῳδήσω, ἐτραγῴδησα, to play the tragic role

    ἀθλητής, -οῦ, ὁ, athlete

    ῥήτωρ, -ορος, ὁ, orator

    φιλόσοφος, -ου, ὁ, philosopher

    πίθηκος, -ου, ὁ, ape, monkey

    θέα, -ας, ἡ, view, sight

    μιμέομαι, μιμήσομαι, ἐμιμησάμην, to mimic, imitate

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

    σκέψις, -εως, ἡ, circumspection

    περιοδεύω, περιοδεύσω, περωδεῦσα, to go all round, to go systematically through

    εἰκῇ, adv., randomly, casually

    ψυχρός, -ά, -όν, cold

    ἐπιθυμία,-ας, ἡ, desire

    29.4

    θεάομαι, θεάσομαι, ἐθεασάμην, to gaze at, view, behold

    φιλόσοφος, -ου, ὁ, philosopher

    φιλοσοφέω, φιλοσοφήσω, ἐφιλοσόφησα, to philosophize

    29.5

    ἐπισκέπτομαι, ἐπισκέψομαι, ἐπεσκεψάμην, to examine, consider

    καταμανθάνω, καταμαθήσομαι, κατεμάθον, to examine closely

    βαστάζω, βαστάσω, ἐβάστασα, to bear

    πένταθλος, -ου, ὁ, pentathlete

    παλαιστής, -οῦ, ὁ, wrestler

    βραχίων, -ονος, ὁ, arm

    μηρός, -οῦ, ὁ, thigh

    ὀσφύς, -ύος, ἡ, loins

    29.6

    ὡσαύτως, adv., in the same way

    ἐσθίω, ἔδομαι, ᾐδεσάμην, to eat

    ὀργίζω, to be angry

    δυσαρεστέω, δυσαρεστήσω, ἐδυσαρέστησα, to be displeased

    ἀγρυπνέω, ἀγρυπνήσω, ἀγρύπνησω, to lie awake

    πονέω, πονήσω, ἐπόνησα, to work 

    ἀπέρχομαι, ἀπελεύσομαι, ἀπῆλθον, to depart from

    παιδάριον, -ου, τό, a young boy

    καταφρονέω, καταφρονήσω, κατεφρόνησα, to look down upon, despise

    καταγελάω, καταγελάσομαι, κατεγελασάμην, to laugh at, mock at + gen.

    ἥττων, ἧττον, inferior

    πραγμάτιον, -ου, τό, trifling matter

    29.7

    ἐπισκέπτομαι, ἐπισκέψομαι, ἐπεσκεψάμην, to examine, inspect

    ἀντικαταλλάσσομαι, ἀντικαταλλάξομαι, ἀντικατηλλαξάμην, to exchange one thing (acc) for another (gen)

    ἀπάθεια, -ας, ἡ, freedom from passion

    ἐλευθερία, -ας, ἡ, freedom, liberty

    ἀταραξία, -ας, ἡ, tranquillity

    προσάγω, προσάξω, προσήγαγον, to approach, undertake 

    φιλόσοφος, -ου, ὁ, a philosopher

    τελώνης, -ου, ὁ, a tax collector

    ῥήτωρ, -ορος, ὁ, an orator

    ἐπίτροπος, -ου, ὁ, procurator (adjectival substantive)

    Καῖσαρ, Καίσαρος, ὁ, Caesar

    συμφωνέω, συμφωνήσω, συνεφώνησα, to harmonize

    ἡγεμονικόν, -ου, τό, the ruling part (of the soul) 

    ἐξεργάζομαι, ἐξεργάσομαι, ἐξηργασάμην, to work on

    ἔσω, adv., to the interior 

    φιλοτεχνέω, φιλοτεχνήσω, ἐφιλοτέχνησα, to practice the art, work at

    ἐπέχω, ἐφέξω, ἐπέσχον, to hold, maintain 

    ἰδιώτης, -ου, ὁ, a private person, i.e. a non-philosopher

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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/ro/epictetus-encheiridion/chapter-29