Discourses, On Constancy (or Firmness)

Epictetus — The Slave

So when a tyrant threatens me and calls for me, I say, "Who are you threatening?" If he says, "I will put you in chains," I say, "You're threatening my hands and feet." If he says, "I will cut off your head," I reply, "You're threatening my head." If he says, "I will throw you in prison," I say, "You're threatening this poor body of mine." If he threatens me with exile, I say the same thing. So does he not threaten me at all? If I know that all these things don't concern me, then he doesn't threaten me at all. But if I fear any of them, then it's me he's threatening. Who am I afraid of then? The master of what? The master of things that are in my power? There is no such master. Do I fear the master of things that are not in my power? And what are these things to me?

Epictetus — The Slave Original

Therefore when the tyrant threatens and calls me, I say, Whom do you threaten? If he says, I will put you in chains, I say, You threaten my hands and my feet. If he says, I will cut off your head, I reply, You threaten my head. If he says, I will throw you into prison, I say, You threaten the whole of this poor body. If he threatens me with banishment, I say the same. Does he then not threaten you at all? If I feel that all these things do not concern me, he does not threaten me at all; but if I fear any of them, it is I whom he threatens. Whom then do I fear? the master of what? The master of things which are in my own power? There is no such master. Do I fear the master of things which are not in my power? And what are these things to me?