Who is Epictetus? Unlike other more famous Stoic philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius or Seneca, Epictetus was born a slave. His place of birth was Hierapolis in Anatolia in around 50 AD. Whether Epictetus had other names is not know – his name in Greek means ‘gained’ or ‘acquired’. It seems likely that this was …

When was the Classical Era in history? When was the Classical Era in history? Broadly speaking the Classical Era (also Classical Period or Classical Age) in the Mediterranean area was between 8th century BC and 6th century AD.  In Europe this period was dominated by the Greeks and then the Romans.  Greek ideas, stories and …

What does Amor Fati mean? What does ‘Amor Fati’ mean? This is Latin phrase which translates as ‘Love of Fate’ or ‘To Love One’s Fate’. Amor Fati or Love of Fate is an important concept in Stoic Philosophy, a school of thought founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in 301 BC. Famously, this was …