Prayers and hymns Epictetus

Prayer of complete surrender

Discourses 2.16.42

Historical translation

Thomas Wentworth Higginson, 1890

Make use of me for the future as Thou wilt. I am of the same mind; I am one with Thee. I refuse nothing which seems good to Thee. Lead me whither Thou wilt. Clothe me in whatever dress Thou wilt. Is it Thy will that I should be in a public or a private condition; dwell here, or be banished; be poor, or rich? Under all these circumstances I will testify unto Thee before men. I will explain the nature of every dispensation.

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Greek

The ancient words

τόλμησον ἀναβλέψας πρὸς τὸν θεὸν εἰπεῖν ὅτι χρῶ μοι λοιπὸν εἰς ὃ ἂν θέλῃς· ὁμογνωμονῶ σοι, σός εἰμι· οὐδὲν παραιτοῦμαι τῶν σοὶ δοκούντων· ὅπου θέλεις, ἄγε· ἣν θέλεις ἐσθῆτα περίθες. ἄρχειν με θέλεις, ἰδιωτεύειν, μένειν, φεύγειν, πένεσθαι, πλουτεῖν; ἐγώ σοι ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων τούτων πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀπολογήσομαι· δείξω τὴν ἑκάστου φύσιν οἵα ἐστίν.

Literal English

Editorial draft · developed with AI assistance

Dare to look up toward God and say: “Use me from now on for whatever you wish. I agree with you; I am yours. I refuse none of the things that seem good to you. Lead me wherever you wish; put whatever clothing you wish on me. Do you wish me to govern or to live as a private person, to remain or to go into exile, to be poor or rich? On your behalf I shall defend all these conditions before other people; I shall show what the nature of each one is.”

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Sources & notes

The Greek σός εἰμι means “I am yours.” The prototype incorrectly retained a letter marked for deletion in the Perseus edition, producing ἰσός.

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

Editorial method