A philosophy that saw self-possession as the key to an existence lived 'in accordance with nature', Stoicism called for the restraint of animal instincts and the severing of emotional ties. These beliefs were formulated by the Athenian followers of Zeno in the fourth century BC, but it was in Seneca (c. 4 BC - AD 65) that the Stoics found their most eloquent advocate. Stoicism, as expressed in the Letters, helped ease pagan Rome's transition to Christianity, for it upholds upright ethical ideals and extols virtuous living, as well as expressing disgust for the harsh treatment of slaves and the inhumane slaughters witnessed in the Roman arenas. Seneca's major contribution to a seemingly unsympathetic creed was to transform it into a powerfully moving and inspiring declaration of the dignity of the individual mind.

《爱比克泰德论说集》最老版本是CodeLz．Bodleianus Graecorum Miscellarigorum 251(S)，于11、12世纪之交编辑而成，所有后世版本(MSS)都是在此基础上修订完善而成的。1525年，Victor Trincavelli“据此印刷出版了第一个《论说集》印刷本(威尼斯本)。但他依据的原始手本错误百出，故几乎毫无文本考证价值。第一本真正具有学术价值的本子由Jacob Shegk在1554年(Basel版)完成。Shegk是图宾根(Tubingen)著名医学教授，与Trin—cavelli的本子相比，他审订的希腊文本虽在文字上并无多大改变，但由于他采用的拉丁文本非常可靠，所以得以对希腊文本数百处谬误予以校正。1560年，Hieronymus woIf(Basel版)在他的基础上进一步修订，附加翻译和点评。他所校订的这个本子在爱氏思想研究史上具有里程碑意义，但由于种种原因在当时的学术界未能产生应有影响，人们普遍阅读的仍然是Shegk校订的Trin—cavelli本。