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
independent justice engagement
Justice has no independent existence; it results from mutual contracts, and establishes itself wherever there is a mutual engagement to guard against doing or sustaining mutual injury.
men annihilation
What men fear is not that death is annihilation but that it is not.
fancy wealth natural
Natural wealth is limited and easily obtained; the wealth defined by vain fancies is always beyond reach.
sin salvation
The knowledge of sin is the beginning of salvation.
choices return pleasure
We begin every act of choice and avoidance from pleasure, and it is to pleasure that we return using our experience of pleasure as the criterion of every good thing.
judging choices feelings
Pleasure is our first and kindred good. It is the starting point of every choice and of every aversion, and to it we always come back, inasmuch as we make feeling the rule by which to judge of every good thing.
men able impossible
It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and honorably and justly, and it is impossible to live wisely and honorably and justly without living pleasantly. Whenever any one of these is lacking, when, for instance, the man is not able to live wisely, though he lives honorably and justly, it is impossible for him to live a pleasant life.
happiness being-happy money
If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.
life easy possession
A free life cannot acquire many possessions, because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs.
freedom self liberty
Freedom is the greatest fruit of self sufficiency.
friendship happiness mean
Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.
attitude rome village
I would rather be first in a little Iberian village than second in Rome.
lions drink
To eat and drink without a friend is to devour like the lion and the wolf.
men birth realizing
Some men spend their whole life furnishing for themselves the things proper to life without realizing that at our birth each of us was poured a mortal brew to drink.