Enchiridion of Epictetus (Handbook) Epictetus

The Enchiridion appears to be a loosely-structured selection of maxims.[10] In his 6th-century Commentary, Simplicius divided the text into four distinct sections suggesting a graded approach to philosophy:[10]

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

Chapter 29, which was probably absent from the text used by Simplicius, is a one-page Discourse which compares the training needed to become a Stoic with the rigorous approach needed to become an Olympic victor.[11]