He is known to have written over 300 pieces of work, but only little fragments of them are preserved. The majority of what we know of him comes from people that commentated on him. Epicurus was mostly known as being the creator of ‘Epicureanism’ which was a popular belief in Hellenistic Philosophy over 600 years. He believed we could all find a way to be happy.
His philosophy was to accomplish a happy and satisfying life, without feeling pain and fear. It was by living in ‘seclusion’, not being involved in politics, a self-sufficient life without pursuing wealth or glory. It was also emphasized the importance of a close circle of friends, that you could trust and participate in enjoying the lesser glorified objects in life, such as food and science.
(287- 212 BC)
– Epicurus Quotes –
If God listened to the prayers of men, all men would quickly have perished: for they are forever praying for evil against one another.
~ Epicurus
A free life cannot acquire many possessions, because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs.
~ Epicurus
Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship.
~ Epicurus
We do not so much need the help of our friends as the confidence of their help in need.
~ Epicurus
Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.
~ Epicurus
It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly. And it is impossible to live wisely and well and justly without living a pleasant life.
~ Epicurus
Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.
~ Epicurus
Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss.
~ Epicurus
The art of living well and the art of dying well are one.
~ Epicurus
Misfortune seldom intrudes upon the wise man; his greatest and highest interests are directed by reason throughout the course of life.
~ Epicurus
The time when most of you should withdraw into yourself is when you are forced to be in a crowd.
~ Epicurus
It is possible to provide security against other ills, but as far as death is concerned, we men live in a city without walls.
~ Epicurus
You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.
~ Epicurus
There is no such thing as justice in the abstract; it is merely a compact between men.
~ Epicurus
It is better for you to be free of fear lying upon a pallet, than to have a golden couch and a rich table and be full of trouble.
~ Epicurus
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
~ Epicurus
I never desired to please the rabble. What pleased them, I did not learn; and what I knew was far removed from their understanding.
~ Epicurus
Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempest.
~ Epicurus
It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.
~ Epicurus
