Epicurus Founds His School: What Happened
Around 306 BC, the philosopher Epicurus bought a house with a garden in Athens and founded a school there, which became known simply as the Garden. Unusually for the time, it welcomed women and slaves as well as free men, and its members lived together as a close community of friends. Epicurus taught that the goal of life is happiness, which he defined as pleasure. But he did not mean indulgence. For Epicurus, true pleasure was the absence of pain in the body and of anxiety in the mind, achieved through simple living, friendship and understanding the world. He believed the greatest sources of human misery were fear of the gods and fear of death. Building on the atomic theory of Democritus, he taught that everything, including the soul, is made of atoms, that the gods do not interfere in human affairs, and that death is simply the end of sensation and therefore nothing to fear. His school flourished for centuries. The Roman poet Lucretius later spread his ideas in the poem On the Nature of Things.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Epicurus?
Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who founded a school in Athens around 306 BC, known as the Garden. His philosophy, Epicureanism, became one of the most influential of the ancient world.
What did Epicurus teach?
Epicurus taught that the goal of life is happiness, meaning freedom from pain and anxiety. He believed this was achieved through simple living, friendship and understanding the natural world.
Did Epicureans believe in indulgence?
No. Despite the modern meaning of epicurean, Epicurus rejected excess and luxury. He believed true pleasure came from modest desires, peace of mind and good company.
What did Epicurus say about death?
Epicurus taught that death is simply the end of sensation and therefore nothing to fear. As he put it, where death is, we are not, and where we are, death is not.
Who could join Epicurus's Garden?
Unusually for the time, the Garden welcomed women and slaves as well as free men. Its members lived together as a community of friends.
More Events from Hellenistic Greece
