> Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher and proponent of Aristotelian virtue ethics, was literally a slave. Some ideas, particularly the best ones, aren't subject to class politics.
While correct, it should be noted that he was only a slave during his youth (freed around the age of 18 when Nero died) and was a slave to the secretary of Nero, in other words had a personal connection to Imperial power.
Yeah an aristocrat greek being slave in Rome doesn't change his high social class status. It just means he worked for room and board for a while. Often as teacher and administrative leaders. Anything written by anyone before the XIX century CE can be assumed to having been written by a high social class individual.
While correct, it should be noted that he was only a slave during his youth (freed around the age of 18 when Nero died) and was a slave to the secretary of Nero, in other words had a personal connection to Imperial power.