Discourses, That We Ought not to Be Angry with Men; and What Are the Small and the Great Things Among Men

Epictetus — The Slave

You say Alexander suffered great damage when the Greeks invaded Troy and his brothers died. Not at all. No one is damaged by something that isn't their own doing. What happened then was just the destruction of birds' nests. Alexander's real ruin came when he lost his sense of decency, loyalty, respect for guests, and proper behavior. When was Achilles ruined? When Patroclus died? No. It happened when he got angry, when he cried over a girl, when he forgot he was at Troy to fight, not to chase women. These things ruin men. This is what it means to be under siege. This is how cities fall — when right thinking is destroyed and corrupted.

Epictetus — The Slave Original

Alexander, you say, sustained great damage then when the Hellenes invaded and when they ravaged Troy, and when his brothers perished. By no means; for no man is damaged by an action which is not his own; but what happened at that time was only the destruction of stork's nests. Now the ruin of Alexander was when he lost the character of modesty, fidelity, regard to hospitality, and to decency. When was Achilles ruined? Was it when Patroclus died? Not so. But it happened when he began to be angry, when he wept for a girl, when he forgot that he was at Troy not to get mistresses, but to fight. These things are the ruin of men, this is being besieged, this is the destruction of cities, when right opinions are destroyed, when they are corrupted.