# CXVII explained — Short Works

> Chapter companion for Short Works by Epictetus.

## What happens

A brief, aphoristic chapter defining intoxication as the act of drinking beyond a specific measure, equating excess with a loss of moderation even if physical drunkenness does not occur.

## Themes in this chapter

### Moderation and Simplicity

The chapter's entire focus is on defining excess and the principle of moderation, using the specific measure of 'three cups' to illustrate the boundary of temperate behavior.

## Key lines

> He is intoxicated who drinks more than three cups: and if he is not intoxicated, he has exceeded moderation.

Anyone who drinks more than three cups is drunk. Even if they don't feel drunk, they have still gone beyond the limit of moderate drinking.

_Defines intoxication not solely by physical sensation but by the objective act of exceeding a defined, moderate limit._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/epictetus_short_works_se/chapters/cxvii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/epictetus_short_works_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/epictetus_short_works_se/chapters