Who was the Real Epictetus?

The cover of The Purloined Boy is graced by the imposing head and shoulders of one of the principal characters in the book — the Master Fisher and head of the Venerable Guild of the Suneaters — Epictetus.

But most readers are unaware that Epictetus is loosely based on one of the most important Stoic philosophers of antiquity.  The real Epictetus was also a crippled slave with a special lamp. 

To learn more about the real Epictetus follow this link to the Wikipedia article about him:  a