Discourses · Character

Plato

Philosopher and student of Socrates, frequently referenced.

minor

First appearance: i of the things which are in our power and not in our power

Plato shows up with force in VIII: That the Faculties Are Not Safe to the Uninstructed. The page is where that presence becomes real.

Mentioned as an example of a philosopher who also possessed non-essential attributes like handsomeness and strength.

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In VIII: That the Faculties Are Not Safe to the Uninstructed: Mentioned as an example of a philosopher who also possessed non-essential attributes like handsomeness and strength. Later, in How We Must Adapt…

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See Plato in i of the things which are in our power and not in our power

Character Web

4 connections

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Character groups

Assorted historical, mythological, and literary figures
Philosophers and rulers

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This passage is the dramatic climax because it delivers the emotional and psychological peak of Epictetus’s ar…

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In the story

Plato appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

VIII: That the Faculties Are Not Safe to the Uninstructed
Mentioned as an example of a philosopher who also possessed non-essential attributes like handsomeness and strength.
How We Must Adapt Preconceptions to Particular Cases
Mentioned as an example of someone who subjects definitions to the preconception of the useful, and criticized by Theopompus for defining everything.
How We Should Struggle Against Appearances
Quoted for his advice to have recourse to expiations and to seek the society of noble and just men when tempted.
Book IV: On Freedom and Familiar Intimacy
Referenced for the idea of studying not only to die but also to endure torture, exile, and scourging as part of giving up what is not one's own.
About Freedom
Referenced for the teaching to study not only to die but also to endure torture, exile, and scourging.

Chapter companion notes

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See Plato in i of the things which are in our power and not in our power

See Plato in VIII: That the Faculties Are Not Safe to the Uninstructed