Under an olive tree, Epictetus, the former slave turned philosopher, faced his students. Lysias, a young man, fumed over his brother’s betrayal, stealing his inheritance. “What can you control?” Epictetus asked, pointing to a distant wildfire. “Not the fire, nor your brother. Only your mind. Let anger go, or it burns you.”Calliope, a mother, confessed her fear for her children. “Love them,” Epictetus said, “but fate is no man’s to command. Teach them to face hardship with a steady heart.”His ...