50–135 CE · Stoicism
Epictetus on death
Epictetus did not deny that we must die; he denied that we must die badly. Death is natural and necessary, and what lies in our power is not whether we die but the spirit in which we meet it.
I must die. Must I then die groaning too?
Epictetus — Discourses, Book 1
Try this
- Accept what is necessary; choose only how you meet it.
- Fear the unlived life, not the inevitable end.
Questions
What did Epictetus say about death?
Epictetus did not deny that we must die; he denied that we must die badly. Death is natural and necessary, and what lies in our power is not whether we die but the spirit in which we meet it.
Where did Epictetus write about death?
In Discourses, Book 1.
Ask Epictetus about your death
Put your own situation to Epictetus and hear the answer in their own words.
Talk to Epictetus