How do I live happy, meaningful, and flourishing life? How can I be both a noble and effective person? Answering these bedrock questions was the single-minded passion of Epictetus, the venerable philosopher who was born a slave about A.D. 55 in the eastern outreaches of the Roman Empire.
The Art of Living is more than mere lessons in coping with the ups and downs of life, but a coherent, elegant system that, if sincerely practiced, instills enduring serenity and moves us gently but steadily toward our higher selves. As both touchstone and guide, The Art of Living is as helpful on the eve of the twenty-first century as it was in the first.
Epictetus (A.D.55 AD 135) taught in Rome until A.D. 94, when Emperor Domitian banished philosophers from the city. In exile, he established his school of philosophy where his distinguished students included Marcus Aurelius, author of the Meditations.