Epictetus (AD 55 - AD 135) was a Greek philosopher of the Stoic school of thought, who attributed his thoughts to Socrates. Epictitus was believed to have been born into slavery in Hierapolis. He lived his early life as a slave in Rome until he obtained his freedom. Upon gaining his freedom, he began to teach philosophy in Rome until around 93 AD, when the Roman Emperor Domitian banished all philosophers from Rome and, subsequently, Italy.  Therefore, Epictitus traveled to Nicopolis, Greece where he founded a Stoic school of philosophy and lived the remainder of his life.  His philosophy remains available today due to the work of his student Arrian, who transcribed, and thus recorded, his teachings.