Who was Epicurus?

Epicurus (341-270 BCE), the philosopher, was born on the Greek island of Samos. According to a Roman biography by Diogenes Laërtius, his parents were Neocles and Chaerestrate, and he had two brothers, Chaeredemus and Aristobulus. Epicurus studied first with the philosopher Nausiphanes, the Democritean, then with the Neo-Platonic philosopher Pamphilius. He settled in Athens in about 306 BCE. He began teaching in 306 and founded a school in the garden of his house. The name "Epicurean" is thought to have been coined by his critics.

Epicurus was a materialist and atomist. He believed that the universe is composed entirely of atoms and void, and that all material things are the result of the combination and interaction of atoms. He denied the existence of any immaterial soul or any divine being. Epicurus's ethics are based on the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. He argued that the greatest good is pleasure, but that true pleasure is not found in the pursuit of sensual pleasures, but in the cultivation of the mind and the enjoyment of friendship.

Epicurus's philosophy was very influential in the ancient world, and it continues to be studied and debated today. His materialism, atomism, and hedonism have all had a profound impact on Western thought.

Here are some of Epicurus's most famous sayings:

* "Death is nothing to us, since when we are, death is not, and when death is, we are not."

* "The greatest wealth is to live content with little."

* "It is not so much our friends who help us, as our friends' friends."

* "What is honorable in life is also pleasurable."

* "Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship."