Epictetus, Chapter XXIV. Quoted from Ovid, Tristia, IV. 3. 79, scene 1; Long's translation

It is circumstances (difficulties) which show what men are.

— Epictetus on Circumstances

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "It is circumstances (difficulties) which show what men are." in the context of "Epictetus, Chapter XXIV. Quoted from Ovid, Tristia, IV. 3. 79, scene 1; Long's translation" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Circumstances" (Quotes, Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations: Quotes reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 119-120.) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Epictetus

About Epictetus

Epictetus (c. 55 – c. 135 AD), born a slave, was a Greek Stoic philosopher. His words were recorded by his student Arrian in the Discourses and Enchiridion written in the early 2nd-century.