Editing Enchiridion of Epictetus (section)

==Contents==
The word "Enchiridion" ({{langx|grc|ἐγχειρίδιον}}) is an adjective meaning "in the hand" or "ready to hand".<ref name="matty263">{{Harvnb|Matheson|1916|p=263}}</ref> The word sometimes meant a handy sword, or dagger, but coupled with the word "book" (''biblion'', {{langx|el|βιβλίον}}) it means a handy book or hand-book.<ref name="matty263"/> Epictetus in the ''Discourses'' often speaks of principles which his pupils should have "ready to hand" ({{langx|el|πρόχειρα}}).<ref name="matty263"/> Common English translations of the title are '''Manual''' or '''Handbook'''.<ref name="oldfart_xii">{{Harvnb|Oldfather|1925|p=xii}}</ref>

The ''Enchiridion'' consists of fifty-three short chapters typically consisting of a paragraph or two, and appears to be a loosely-structured selection of maxims.<ref name="brittybrenny_6">{{Harvnb|Brittain|Brennan|2002|p=6}}</ref> It was compiled some time in the early 2nd century. Around half of the material in the ''Enchiridion'' has been shown to have been derived from the surviving four books of ''Discourses'' but variously modified.<ref name="oldfart2_479">{{Harvnb|Oldfather|1928|p=479}}</ref> Some chapters appear to be reformulations of ideas which appear throughout the ''Discourses''.<ref name="hard346"/> Other parts are presumed to be derived from the lost ''Discourses''.<ref name="hard346">{{Harvnb|Hard|2014|p=346}}</ref>

The 6th-century philosopher [[Simplicius of Cilicia|Simplicius]], in his commentary on the work, refers to a letter written by Arrian which prefaced the text.<ref name="boat_xiii">{{Harvnb|Boter|1999|p=xiii}}</ref> In this letter Arrian stated that the ''Enchiridion'' was selected from the ''[[Discourses of Epictetus]]'' according to what he considered to be most useful, most necessary, and most adapted to move people's minds.<ref name="longxiii">{{Harvnb|Long|1877|p=xiii}}</ref>In his commentary, Simplicius divided the text into four distinct sections suggesting a graded approach to philosophy:<ref name="brittybrenny_6"/>

# Chapters 1–21. What is up to us and not, and how to deal with external things.
## Chs 1–2. What is up to us and not, and the consequences of choosing either.
## Chs 3–14. How to deal with external things (reining the reader in from them).
## Chs 15–21. How to use external things correctly and without disturbance.
# Chapters 22–28. Advice for intermediate students.
## Chs 22–25. The problems faced by intermediate students.
## Chs 26–28. Miscellania: the common conceptions, badness, and shame.
# Chapters 30–47. Technical advice for the discovery of appropriate actions (''[[Kathekon|kathēkonta]]'').
## Chs 30–33. Appropriate actions towards (a) other people, (b) God, (c) divination, (d) one's own self.
## Chs 34–47. Miscellaneous precepts on justice (right actions).
# Chapters 48–53. Conclusions on the practice of precepts.
## Ch 48. Final advice and his division of types of people.
## Chs 49–52. The practice of precepts.
## Ch 53. Quotations for memorisation.

There are some puzzles concerning the inclusion of two chapters. Chapter 29, a one-page ''Discourse'' which compares the training needed to become a Stoic with the rigorous approach needed to become an Olympic victor.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hard|2014|p=331}}</ref> is practically word for word identical with ''Discourse'' iii.&nbsp;15.<ref name="oldfart2_506">{{Harvnb|Oldfather|1928|p=506}}</ref> Since it was omitted in one of the early Christian editions (''Par''), and not commented on by Simplicius, it may not have been in the original edition.<ref name="oldfart2_506"/><ref name="boat_127">{{Harvnb|Boter|1999|p=127}}</ref> Chapter 33 consists of a list of moral instructions, which are "not obviously related to Epictetus' normal Stoic framework."<ref name="hard346"/>