enchiridion

Enchiridion, from the Greek encheiridion meaning “handbook” or “manual,” is a title used for several concise instruction texts across antiquity and the early modern period. The most enduring examples are the Enchiridion of Epictetus and Erasmus’s Enchiridion militis Christiani, each influential in very different intellectual traditions.

The Enchiridion of Epictetus is a short manual of Stoic ethics compiled by the philosopher’s pupil Arrian in the 2nd century CE. It presents practical guidance on how to live well by focusing on what is within our control, handling desires and aversions, and aligning one’s will with nature and reason. The work emphasizes the distinction between things that depend on us and things that do not, urging readers to cultivate virtue as the sole good and to view external events with equanimity. Its compact form and accessible counsel helped sustain Stoic thought from late antiquity through the modern era.

Erasmus’s Enchiridion militis Christiani, published in 1503, is a Christian humanist treatise written for lay Christians. It offers a compact guide to the Christian life framed as a soldier’s handbook for spiritual warfare. The text advocates inner piety, humility, and disciplined devotion, often critiquing reliance on outward rituals or worldly power. It became widely read in early modern Europe and contributed to reform-era discussions about authentic faith and morality.

Beyond these two, the title Enchiridion was used for other brief manuals in antiquity and later periods, all sharing the aim of distilling essential guidance into a compact format. The term itself has remained a generic designation for handbooks across languages and eras.