Epictetus, himself born into slavery, understood that true freedom is not the absence of external constraints but the presence of internal self-mastery. A person ruled by their impulses, desires, or emotions is a slave to them, regardless of their external circumstances - whether they sit on a throne or in chains. Real freedom comes from governing one's own mind, emotions, and actions according to reason and virtue. This internal sovereignty cannot be taken away by tyrants, circumstances, or misfortune. The person who achieves self-mastery has attained a freedom more complete and lasting than any political or social liberation can provide.