Epictetus

About Epictetus

Epictetus was a prominent Stoic philosopher who lived during the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, born a slave before gaining his freedom. His teachings, primarily preserved through the notes of his student Arrian, emphasize ethical living, personal freedom through self-control, and distinguishing between what is within our power (judgments, desires) and what is not (external events). This enduring focus on inner resilience and virtue is why the Pantheon project ranks him as the 998th most influential figure in world history.

In the context of modern digital attention, Epictetus occupies a fascinating, nearly balanced position according to our 2025 data. With 360K annualized Wikipedia views, his Attention Gap ratio is approximately 1x, suggesting his internet visibility is proportionally appropriate to his historical rank. This stability contrasts sharply with figures like Kim Jong-il (ranked #221 in historical importance), who garners significantly fewer views (59K). Epictetus commands more than six times the annual traffic of this much higher-ranked political figure, indicating the resilience of classical philosophical interest online.

However, recent momentum suggests a slight digital cooling. His Year-over-Year change is -8.5%, and his Q1 vs Q3 momentum is -10%, indicating a gradual decline in immediate search interest heading into the latter half of 2025.