The Enchiridion of Epictetus is one of the principal writings of the stoic school of philosophy, which flourished throughout the Roman and Greek world until the 3rd century AD. The book is more accessible than most philosophical works of the period since it prefers the day-to-day wisdom of the stoic tradition to its less immediate metaphysical elements. The book can be seen as a manual to show the way to achieve mental freedom and happiness, and therefore is essentially a deep version of a self-help book.