BOOK III. i. 20-24

...on these terms," original: "phēsi"—This completes the quote from Socrates' defense speech: "If you acquit me on these terms... I shall never give up practicing philosophy or exhorting you." he says, "I will not accept it; but I shall love and honor you, my fellow citizens, yet I shall obey God rather than you; and I shall never cease to exhort and point out the truth to any of you I happen to meet, especially to you, my fellow citizens, because you are closer to me by kinship."

21 Are you then so meddlesome, Socrates, and such a busybody? Why do you care what we do? "What is this you say? Being my partner and my kinsman, you neglect yourself and provide the city with a bad citizen, and your kinsmen with a bad kinsman, and your neighbors with a bad neighbor." 22 "Who are you then?" At this point, it is a great thing to be able to say: "I am the one whose duty it is to care for mankind."

For not even an ordinary little ox dares to stand against a lion; but if the bull approaches and stands against him, say to it if you please, "And who are you?" and "Why do you care?" Man, 23 in every species something exceptional is produced; among cattle, among dogs, among bees, among horses. Do not then say to the exceptional one, "Who then are you?" Otherwise, if it were to find a voice, it would say to you: "I am like the purple thread In the ancient world, "Tyrian purple" was an incredibly expensive dye. A small strip of it on a garment distinguished the wearer's status, much as an exceptional person stands out from the crowd. in a garment; do not expect me to be like the others, or blame my nature original: "tē physei mou"—The manuscript text says "my nature," though some scholars like Kronenberg argued it should just be "nature." Epictetus uses this phrasing to suggest that his very essence was crafted by Nature to be distinct. because she made me different from the rest."

24 What then? Am I such a person? Far from it! For are you the kind of person who is even capable of hearing the truth? I wish you were. But nevertheless, since I have somehow been condemned to wear a gray beard and a philosopher’s cloak cloak original: "tribōna"; the simple, coarse wrap-around garment worn by philosophers—particularly Cynics and Stoics—to signal their rejection of luxury and focus on virtue., and you come to me as if to a philosopher, I will not treat you harshly or without hope.