Plain
Epictetus — The Slave

But what do you mean by such great things? Wars and civil unrest, and the destruction of many men and cities. And what great matter is this? Is it nothing? But what great matter is the death of many cattle and sheep, and many nests of swallows or storks being burned or destroyed? Are these things alike? Very much alike. Human bodies are destroyed, and the bodies of cattle and sheep. Human homes are burned, and stork nests. What is great or terrible about this? Or show me the difference between a man's house and a stork's nest, since both are dwellings. Except that humans build their little houses of wood and tiles and bricks, and storks build theirs of sticks and mud. Are a stork and a human alike? What do you say? In body they are very much alike.

Discourses, That We Ought not to Be Angry with Men; and What Are the Small and the Great Things Among Men 76 of 388
Death & Mortality Human Nature
Epictetus — The Slave Original

But what do you mean by such great things? Wars and civil commotions, and the destruction of many men and cities. And what great matter is this? Is it nothing? But what great matter is the death of many oxen, and many sheep, and many nests of swallows or storks being burnt or destroyed? Are these things then like those? Very like. Bodies of men are destroyed, and the bodies of oxen and sheep; the dwellings of men are burnt, and the nests of storks. What is there in this great or dreadful? Or show me what is the difference between a man's house and a stork's nest, as far as each is a dwelling; except that man builds his little houses of beams and tiles and bricks, and the stork builds them of sticks and mud. Are a stork and a man then like things? What say you? In body they are very much alike.

Discourses, That We Ought not to Be Angry with Men; and What Are the Small and the Great Things Among Men 76 of 388
Epictetus — The Slave

So all these great and terrible events come from one thing — how people see things? Yes, that's the only source. The entire Iliad is nothing but people's opinions and how they acted on them. Alexander saw it as right to steal Menelaus's wife. Helen saw it as right to go with him. But what if Menelaus had seen losing such a wife as a blessing? What would have happened then? We wouldn't have the Iliad. We wouldn't have the Odyssey either. Such massive events hung on such a small thing — how one person chose to see his situation.

Discourses, That We Ought not to Be Angry with Men; and What Are the Small and the Great Things Among Men 75 of 388
Freedom & Control Human Nature
Epictetus — The Slave Original

So then all these great and dreadful deeds have this origin, in the appearance (opinion)? Yes, this origin and no other. The Iliad is nothing else than appearance and the use of appearances. It appeared to Alexander to carry off the wife of Menelaus. It appeared to Helene to follow him. If then it had appeared to Menelaus to feel that it was a gain to be deprived of such a wife, what would have happened? Not only would the Iliad have been lost, but the Odyssey also. On so small a matter then did such great things depend?

Discourses, That We Ought not to Be Angry with Men; and What Are the Small and the Great Things Among Men 75 of 388
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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