Enchiridion, Chapter 1: What is up to us, and what is not
The Handbook opens with the one distinction the whole of Stoicism turns on. Before any advice, Epictetus draws a single line — between what is in our power and what is not — and sorts the contents of a life onto either side of it.
τῶνtō͂nOfὄντωνóntōnthings that areτὰtàsomeμένménon the one hand (μέν … δέ: on one hand … on the other)ἐστινestinareἐφʼephʼup toἡμῖνhēmi͂nus,τὰtàothersδὲdèbutοὐκouknotἐφʼephʼup toἡμῖνhēmi͂nus.