Prayers and hymns Epictetus

Prayer for the arrival of difficulties

Discourses 1.6.37

Original text

Greek

The ancient words

ἄγε οὖν καὶ σὺ τούτων αἰσθόμενος ἀπόβλεψον εἰς τὰς δυνάμεις ἃς ἔχεις καὶ ἀπιδὼν εἰπὲ φέρε νῦν, ὦ Ζεῦ, ἣν θέλεις περίστασιν· ἔχω γὰρ παρασκευὴν ἐκ σοῦ μοι δεδομένην καὶ ἀφορμὰς πρὸς τὸ κοσμῆσαι διὰ τῶν ἀποβαινόντων ἐμαυτόν

Modern rendering

Close to the words

Literal English · editorial draft

Bring now, Zeus, whatever circumstance you wish; for I have preparedness given to me by you, and resources for putting myself in good order through the things that happen.

An editorial aid to reading, not a substitute for the original. About this rendering

Historical translation

1877 · Source edition ↗

Bring now, O Zeus, any difficulty that thou pleasest, for I have means given to me by thee and powers for honoring myself through the things which happen.

Text matched to linked transcription; typography normalized.

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Sources & notes

Historical editions may include surrounding context or use different phrasing. Parallel columns compare passages; their lines are not word-for-word alignments.

The source review is selective. Additional prototype transcriptions are preserved in the repository pending verification. Editorial method →