Arrian to Lucius Gellius
Wisheth all happiness.
I neither composed the Discourses of
Epictetus in the sense in which things of
this nature can properly be said to have been
composed, nor did I myself produce them to
public view, any more than I composed them.
But whatever I heard from his own mouth, that
I tried to set down in the very same words, so
far as possible, and to preserve as memorials
for my own use, of his manner of thinking, and
his frank utterance.
These Discourses are such as one person
would naturally deliver from his own thoughts,
ex tempore, to another; not such as he would
prepare to be read by others afterwards. Such
as they are, I cannot tell how, without either my
consent or knowledge, they have fallen into the
hands of the public. But it is of little consequence to me if I do not appear an able writer,
and of none to Epictetus if any one treats his
[p. 1002]
Discourses with contempt; since it was very
evident, even when he uttered them, that he
aimed at nothing more than to move the minds
of his hearers toward virtue. If they produce
that one effect, they have in them what, I think,
philosophical discourses ought to have. And
should they fail of it, let the readers however
be assured, that when Epictetus himself pronounced them, his audience could not help
being affected in the very manner he intended
they should. If by themselves his Discourses
have less efficacy, perhaps it is my fault, or
perhaps it is unavoidable.
Farewell.
[p. 1003]