Epicurus
Epicurus
Epicuruswas an ancient Greek philosopher as well as the founder of the school of philosophy called Epicureanism. Only a few fragments and letters of Epicurus's 300 written works remain. Much of what is known about Epicurean philosophy derives from later followers and commentators...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPhilosopher
earthquakes wind may
Earthquakes may be brought about because wind is caught up in the earth, so the earth is dislocated in small masses and is continually shaken, and that causes it to sway.
stranger pleasure wells
Stranger, here you will do well to tarry; here our highest good is pleasure.
atheist faith-religion omnipotence
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
men chance belief
It is not the young man who should be considered fortunate but the old man who has lived well, because the young man in his prime wanders much by chance, vacillating in his beliefs, while the old man has docked in the harbor, having safeguarded his true happiness.
death evil dying
Death, the most dreaded of evils, is therefore of no concern to us; for while we exist death is not present, and when death is present we no longer exist.
meaningless
Death is meaningless to the living because they are living, and meaningless to the dead… because they are dead.
atheist faith-religion omnipotence
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
happiness pleasure tranquil
Tranquil pleasure constitutes human beings' supreme good
littles sufficiency persons
Nothing is sufficient for the person who finds sufficiency too little
philosophy tired healthy
Neither one should hesitate about dedicating oneself to philosophy when young, nor should get tired of doing it when one's old, because no one is ever too young or too old to reach one's soul's healthy.
happiness peace desire
If you wish to make Pythocles rich, do not add to his store of money, but subtract from his desires.
men vain capability
It is vain to ask of the gods what man is capable of supplying for himself.
happiness pain mean
No pleasure is evil in itself; but the means by which certain pleasures are gained bring pains many times greater than the pleasures.
garden doe natural
My garden does not whet the appetite; it satisfies it. It does not provoke thirst through heedless indulgence, but slakes it by proffering its natural remedy. Amid such pleasures as these have I grown old.