Chapter 46

Lead by Example

Epictetus argues that the student should not talk about philosophical principles among non-philosophers, but act on them. The examples which follow emphasize an avoidance of ostentation and the need to properly digest the principles and practice them. From this point on, the final chapters encourage those making progress to put their philosophical principles into practice.

μηδαμοῦ … εἴπῃς: 2 sg. aor. act. subj., prohibitory subjunctive (G. 473; S. 1840b). Compare Diss. 4.8.17–20, where Euphrates says that he did not let people know that he was a philosopher so that he would not do things to impress others.

ἐν ἰδιώταις: “among non-philosophers.” See ch. 33. In ch. 17 the word means simply “private citizens,” which is its regular meaning in other contexts.

λάλει ... ποίει: 2 sg. pres. act. imper. See note on ζήτει in ch. 8.

τὸ πολὺ: “for the most part,” adv. acc. (G. 540; S. 1609)

τὰ ἀπὸ: “the things that follow from,” object of ποίει.

ἀφῃρήκει: > ἀφαιρέω, 3 sg. plupf. act. ind., “had removed,” i.e., refrained from

ἤρχοντο:. > ἔρχομαι (not ἄρχω), 3 pl. impf. indic.

ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ: genitive of agent (S. 1491 and 1698.1.b)

συσταθῆναι: “to be introduced,” aor. pass. infin., dependent on βουλόμενοι

ἀπῆγεν αὐτούς: “led them away,” to introduce them to other philosophers. This example is also found in Diss. 3.5.17, 3.23.22 and 4.8.22–23 and is based on Plato’s Protagoras 310e and Theaetutus 151b.

ἠνείχετο: > ἀνέχω, impf. ind. mid.-pass. 3 sg., with a double augment, “he put up with.” The first augment is added to the preverb ἀνα-, the second appears between the preverb and verb (G. 268d; S. 451).

παρορώμενος: pres. pass. part. nom. masc. sg.

46.2

σιώπα: 2 sg. pres. act. imper. On imperatives of α-contract verbs, see μελέτα in ch. 1.5.

τὸ πολὺ: “for the most part”

δηχθῇς: > δάκνω, 2 sg. aor. pass. subj. Note the negatives in these clauses: μή with δηχθῇς in the subjunctive clause, while οὐδέν is used in the preceding ὅτι clause with the indicative οἶσθα.

ἴσθι: > οἶδα, 2 sg. pf. act. imper.

ἄρχῃ τοῦ ἔργου: ἄρχῃ > ἄρχομαι, pres. mid. ind. 2 sg. “make a beginning of” + gen., “you are making progress”

ἐπεί: “for,” introducing an illustration to reinforce the point (LSJ ἐπεί B.4)

οὐ: with ἐπιδεικνύει

φέροντα: “by bringing,” present participle expressing means (S. 2063)

τοίνυν: “therefore, accordingly,” drawing an inference from the example

ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν πεφθέντων: “(which come) from them once they have been digested.” πεφθέντων: > πέσσω, aor. pass. part. gen. masc. pl.