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The Enchiridion & Discourses Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

The Enchiridion is the famous manual of ethical advice given in the second century by the Stoic philosopher Epictetus.

Born to a Greek slave, Epictetus grew up in the environment of the Roman Empire and, having been released from bonds of slavery, became a Stoic in the tradition of its originators, Zeno (third Century BCE) and Seneca (first century CE).

Epictetus didn't leave a formal written legacy, but his pupil, Arrian, collected his teachings, and posterity now has The Enchiridion and The Discourses. The first is a short compilation of Stoical precepts - how to live an ethical life. It is essentially about everyday life, and it maintained its popularity throughout the succeeding centuries, on par with the other principal concise Stoic document from the Roman period, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - who had clearly read it.

The Enchiridion is presented here as the translation by Thomas W. Higginson. The Discourses, a much longer text again compiled by Arrian, contains a more comprehensive view of the teachings of Epictetus. The Discourses is translated by George Long.

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Product details

Listening Length 13 hours and 16 minutes
Author Epictetus
Narrator Haward B. Morse
Audible.com Release Date June 05, 2016
Publisher Ukemi Audiobooks from W. F. Howes Ltd
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B01G9EJDP8
Best Sellers Rank #18,939 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#251 in Philosophy (Audible Books & Originals)
#1,247 in Philosophy (Books)

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4.8 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2018
    I examined and then sampled all the Enchiridion editions on Audible and ended up getting this one after realizing that the voice of the reader and the delivery is overall superior, as well as the bundled value of the contents.

    The title piece is, of course, the main attraction here and easily worth the price of the audiobook. Epictetus, for those who don't already know, was a Roman slave who went on to become educated, was freed and even became the secretary to Emperor Nero, as well as a teacher of philosophy before being banished as an increasingly troubling Stoic philosopher of note. The Enchiridion, while his "greatest hit" as far as his popularity go, and easily his most digestible piece, is dwarfed in length by the more in-depth "Discourses" also enclosed here and give us a more in-depth look at the varied ideas he had been working on before being banished and presumably during his exile.

    The delivery of the narration is extremely clear and fairly impassioned. There is also an older American reading which, though markedly different in terms of interpretation, is also worth getting, as it unpacks the text for modern English speakers, and especially Americans.

    As for this edition, I find it more enjoyable because of the easy attachment to associating a noble Roman philosopher with the educated English accent, rather than the more plain Midwest American accent, and of course the fact that this edition is a more direct, less freewheeling translation which can allow the listener to understand the exact delivery intended. If, however, you're not somewhat used to the Roman sensibility, you might easily not prefer this edition (translation and narration).

    As for the translation itself, Hayward B. Morse seems to really capture the essence of the original text and of the Roman Stoic's sensibility in a much more one-to-one correspondence, as opposed to the more interpretive edition in the (somewhat radio-mono sounding) Americanized interpretive translation mentioned earlier. This alone could end up being the reason many will go with this more direct translation edition, whatever you feel about the more "elegant" English narration. Overall, this just seems to be the best available edition for any budding student of the Romans and/or the Stoics. And of course, Ukemi Audiobooks does a very nice production here, overall.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2018
    “There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” Epictetus

    Epictetus was a second-century stoic philosopher. Born a slave and raised within the Roman Empire. After his release from slavery, he found peace in Greece where is spent the remainder of his days.

    This book is delivered in two parts, the first is short precepts, practical guides to the bulk of his work – The Enchiridion. The second part is the longer discourses of Epictetus. These writings are actually the works of his pupil Arrian.

    Listen and read the full review at The Hidden Why dot com. Leigh Martinuzzi - The Hidden Why Guy
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2016
    What a find. As far as I know, this is the only professionally produced, unabridged audiobook version of Epictetus' Discourses available. It also contains the Enchiridion. Both are narrated by British actor Hayward B. Morse, and they're nothing short of fantastic. This is tricky material, and getting the sense right requires, first, understanding, then a careful approach to things like inflection and tone, as well as taking pains to make distinctions between the main narrative voice and various unattributed voices (students and others) that break into the discourse from time to time. Morse pulls it off admirably. Sound-wise, the recording is top-notch--clear and precise, consistent volume throughout, with a nearly nonexistent noise floor. As this is the sort of audiobook that needs to stand up to repeated listenings, those kinds of production details are crucial.

    A timeless book, produced for audio with great care and skill. What more could you want?
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2017
    Absolutely fantastic!
    Timeless truths and advice from a man 2000 years ago that is equally important for a person today. Such a great reader that I've been looking for other books read by him as well. I'll be relistening to this many times and would recommend this highly to everyone. Well done!
    3 people found this helpful
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