People like to talk about and associate with Marcus Aurelius, because he was a Roman emperor, and thus books like these will sell: "How to think like a Roman Emperor".

How about "How to think like a crippled Greek slave who was freed"? Doesn't sound that impressive. That is Epictetus, who has left an indelible mark on Marcus Aurelius, who copiously rephrases him. Having read a few translations of both, Aurelius and Epictetus, I firmly suggest to start with Epictetus, because of his structured approach, pungent and forceful prose, use of hyperbole, heavy irony, sarcasm, humor and other devices.

For those intersted in Epictetus, based on my deep-dive into his work, here is my long-term suggested reading for the next two years (in that order):

• Discourses, Fragments and Handbook (translation by Robin Hard, intro by Christopher Gill; Oxford University Press).

• Encheiridion, and Selections from Discourses, by A.A. Long. This is a short book; the value addition here is the introduction, and the outstanding glossary. (NB: there is no escaping full Discourses of Epictetus.)

• The Inner Citadel, by Pierre Hadot. This is a fantastic dissection of Marcus Aurelius' work; Hadot studied him for 25 years. It also contains unparalleled summary of Epictetus, and many quotes of Seneca.

• Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide, by A.A. Long. Important Note: to get maximum value out of this, you must have already read at least one translation of Epictetus' full Discourses! This book orients the reader to Epictetus with an extremely valuable context: how not to misinterpret his unqualified faith in "divine providence" (which can grate on our "modern ears"); the influence of Plato and the "Socratic elunchus" (colloquially known as "Socratic Method"); deep insights into Epictetus' own inimitable style; and a rich bibliography. A.A. Long is a star.

• If you've come this far, you must also read the 1927 edition of Epictetus translation, the two-book Loeb edition of Discourses; by W.A. Oldfather.