Epictetus: Quotes about God

Epictetus was philosopher from Ancient Greece. Explore interesting quotes on god.
Epictetus: 350   quotes 94   likes

“Knowest thou what kind of speck you art in comparison with the Universe?—That is, with respect to the body; since with respect to Reason, thou art not inferior to the Gods”

Epictetus

Golden Sayings of Epictetus
Context: Knowest thou what kind of speck you art in comparison with the Universe?—That is, with respect to the body; since with respect to Reason, thou art not inferior to the Gods, nor less than they. For the greatness of Reason is not measured by length or height, but by the resolves of the mind. Place then thy happiness in that wherein thou art equal to the Gods. (33).

God , Art , Universe

“As God hath ordained, so do; else thou wilt suffer chastisement and loss. Askest thou what loss?”

Epictetus

Golden Sayings of Epictetus
Context: Canst thou judge men?... then make us imitators of thyself, as Socrates did. Do this, do not do that, else will I cast thee into prison; this is not governing men like reasonable creatures. Say rather, As God hath ordained, so do; else thou wilt suffer chastisement and loss. Askest thou what loss? None other than this: To have left undone what thou shouldst have done: to have lost the faithfulness, the reverence, the modesty that is in thee! Greater loss than this seek not to find! (91).

God , Suffering , Loss

“If any be unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone. For God hath made man to enjoy felicity and constancy of good.”

Epictetus

122
Golden Sayings of Epictetus

God

“God hath introduced Man to be a spectator of Himself and of His works; and”

Epictetus

Golden Sayings of Epictetus
Context: But God hath introduced Man to be a spectator of Himself and of His works; and not a spectator only, but also an interpreter of them. Wherefore it is a shame for man to begin and to leave off where the brutes do. Rather he should begin there, and leave off where Nature leaves off in us: and that is at contemplation, and understanding, and a manner of life that is in harmony with herself. See then that ye die not without being spectators of these things. (13).

God

“Concerning the Gods, there are who deny the very existence of the Godhead; others say that it exists, but neither bestirs nor concerns itself nor has forethought for anything. A third party attribute to it existence and forethought, but only for great and heavenly matters, not for anything that is on earth. A fourth party admit things on earth as well as in heaven, but only in general, and not with respect to each individual. A fifth, of whom were Ulysses and Socrates, are those that cry:— I move not without Thy knowledge!”

Epictetus

28
Golden Sayings of Epictetus

God , Knowledge , Cry

“Give thyself more diligently to reflection: know thyself: take counsel with the Godhead; without God put thine hand into nothing.”

Epictetus

115
Golden Sayings of Epictetus

God

“When you close your doors, and make darkness within, remember never to say that you are alone, for you are not alone; nay, God is within, and your genius is within. And what need have they of light to see what you are doing?”

Epictetus

Book I, ch. 14.
Discourses

God , Light

“If then all things that grow, nay, our own bodies, are thus bound up with the whole, is not this still truer of our souls? And if our souls are bound up and in contact with God, as being very parts and fragments plucked from Himself, shall He not feel every movement of theirs as though it were His own, and belonging to His own nature?”

Epictetus

36
Golden Sayings of Epictetus

God , Feeling , Soul , Nature

“Piety towards the Gods, be sure, consists chiefly in thinking rightly concerning them—that they are, and that they govern the Universe with goodness and justice; and that thou thyself art appointed to obey them, and to submit under all circumstances that arise; acquiescing cheerfully in whatever may happen, sure that it is brought to pass and accomplished by the most Perfect Understanding. Thus thou wilt never find fault with the Gods, nor charge them with neglecting thee.”

Epictetus

163
Golden Sayings of Epictetus

God , Justice , Art , Understanding

“Think of God more often than thou breathest.”

Epictetus

Fragment xix.
Golden Sayings of Epictetus, Fragments

God , Thinking

“If thou rememberest that God standeth by to behold and visit all that thou doest; whether in the body or in the soul, thou surely wilt not err in any prayer or deed; and thou shalt have God to dwell with thee.”

Epictetus

Fragment xxiv.
Golden Sayings of Epictetus, Fragments

God , Soul

“But in the present condition of things, which resembles an Army in battle array, ought not the Cynic to be free from all distraction and given wholly to the service of God, so that he can go in and out among men, neither fettered by the duties nor entangled by the relations of common life? For if he transgresses them, he will forfeit the character of a good man and true; whereas if he observe them, there is an end of him as the Messenger, the Spy, the Herald of the Gods!”

Epictetus

116
Golden Sayings of Epictetus

Life , Men , God

“If what philosophers say of the kinship of God and Men be true, what remains for men to do but as Socrates did: never, when asked one’s country, to answer, 'I am an Athenian or a Corinthian,' but 'I am a citizen of the world.”

Epictetus

15
Golden Sayings of Epictetus

Men , God , World , Country

“When we are invited to a banquet, we take what is set before us; and were one to call upon his host to set fish upon the table or sweet things, he would be deemed absurd. Yet in a word, we ask the Gods for what they do not give; and that, although they have given us so many things!”

Epictetus

35
Golden Sayings of Epictetus

God , Fish

“Let not another's disobedience to Nature become an ill to you; for you were not born to be depressed and unhappy with others, but to be happy with them. And if any is unhappy, remember that he is so for himself; for God made all men to enjoy felicity and peace.”

Epictetus

That we ought not to be affected by Things not in our own Power, Chap. xxiv.
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)

Men , God , Peace , Nature

“Seemeth it nothing to you, never to accuse, never to blame either God or Man? to wear ever the same countenance in going forth as in coming in? This was the secret of Socrates: yet he never said that he knew or taught anything… Who amongst you makes this his aim? Were it indeed so, you would gladly endure sickness, hunger, aye, death itself.”

Epictetus

85
Golden Sayings of Epictetus

Death , Hunger , God , Secret

“O slavish man! will you not bear with your own brother, who has God for his Father, as being a son from the same stock, and of the same high descent? But if you chance to be placed in some superior station, will you presently set yourself up for a tyrant?”

Epictetus

Book I, ch. 13.
Discourses

God , Chance

“Yet God hath not only granted these faculties, by which we may bear every event without being depressed or broken by it, but like a good prince and a true father, hath placed their exercise above restraint, compulsion, or hindrance, and wholly without our own control.”

Epictetus

Book I, ch. 6.
Discourses

God , Exercises

“Dare to look up to God and say, "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."”

Epictetus

That we do not study to make Use of the established Principles concerning Good and Evil, Chap. xvi.
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)

God , Future , Clothes

“A man should also be prepared to be sufficient unto himself—to dwell within himself alone, even as God dwells with Himself alone… So should we also be able to converse with ourselves, to need none else beside, to sigh for no distraction, to bend our thoughts upon the Divine Administration, and how we stand related to all else; to observe how human accidents touched us of old, and how they touch us now; what things they are that still have power to hurt us, and how they may be cured and removed; to perfect what needs perfecting as Reason would direct.”

Epictetus

98
Golden Sayings of Epictetus

God , Hurt , Perfection