Epictetus (c. 50?c. 135 AD) was a prominent Greek philosopher whose teachings became a cornerstone of Roman Stoicism. Born into slavery in Hierapolis (modern-day Turkey), he spent his youth in Rome as a slave to a wealthy administrative secretary of Nero. After gaining his freedom following Nero's death, Epictetus began teaching philosophy in Rome until the Emperor Domitian banished all philosophers from Italy around 89 AD. He relocated to Nicopolis, Greece, where he established a highly influential philosophical school that attracted students from across the Roman Empire. Epictetus wrote nothing down himself; his profound insights on freedom, personal autonomy, and emotional resilience were meticulously recorded and preserved by his devoted student, Arrian.