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
stranger pleasure wells
Stranger, here you will do well to tarry; here our highest good is pleasure.
what-if desire ifs
What will happen to me if that which this desire seeks is achieved, and what if it is not?
death dying
Where I am death is not, where death is I am not.
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.
wise wisdom men
Fortune seldom troubles the wise man. Reason has controlled his greatest and most important affairs, controls them throughout his life, and will continue to control them.
atheist faith-religion omnipotence
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
death men realizing
There is nothing terrible in life for the man who realizes there is nothing terrible in death.
friendship beautiful wise
Of all the gifts that wise Providence grants us to make life full and happy, friendship is the most beautiful.
infinite universe
But the universe is infinite.
suffering philosopher empty
The words of that philosopher who offers no therapy for human suffering are empty and vain.
where-you-are afraid-of-death
Why are you afraid of death? Where you are, death is not. Where death is, you are not. What is it that you fear.
agreement justice tribes
There is no such thing as justice or injustice among those beasts that cannot make agreements not to injure or be injured. This is also true of those tribes that are unable or unwilling to make agreements not to injure or be injured.
wise men doe
The wise man neither rejects life nor fears death... just as he does not necessarily choose the largest amount of food, but, rather, the pleasantest food, so he prefers not the longest time, but the most pleasant.
future may remember
Remember that the future is neither ours nor wholly not ours, so that we may neither count on it as sure to come nor abandon hope of it as certain not to be.