All the Works of Epictetus, Which Are Now Extant/Book 1/Chapter 3
CHAPTER III.
How, from the Doctrine that God is the Father of Mankind, we may proceed to its Consequences.
§. 1.IF a Person could be persuaded of this Principle as he ought, that we are all originally descended from God, and that he is the Father of Gods and Men; I conceive he never would think meanly or degenerately concerning himself. Suppose Cæsar were to adopt you, there would be no bearing your haughty Looks: And will you not be elated on knowing yourself to be the Son of Jupiter? Yet, in Fact, we are not elated. But having two Things in our composition, intimately united, a Body in Common with the Brutes, and Reason and Sentiment in common with the Gods; many incline to this unhappy and mortal Kindred, and only some few to the divine and happy one. And, as of Necessity every one must treat each particular Thing, according to the Notions he forms about it; so those few, who think they are made for Fidelity, Decency, and a well-grounded Use of the Appearances of Things, never think meanly or degenerately concerning themselves. But with the Multitude the Case is contrary: "For what am I? A poor contemptible Man, with this miserable Flesh of mine!" Miserable indeed. But you have likewise something better than this paultry Flesh. Why then, overlooking that, do you pine away in Attention to this?
§. 2. By means of this [animal] Kindred, some of us, deviating towards it, become like Wolves, faithless, and insidious, and mischievous: others, like Lions, wild, and savage, and untamed: but most of us Foxes, and Wretches even among Brutes. For what else is a slanderous and ill-natured Man, than a Fox, or something yet more wretched and mean? See then, and take heed, that you do not become such Wretches.