How should we live?

In ancient Greece one man came up with a pleasingly simple answer to this question. The philosopher Epicurus taught his followers that pleasure and contentment were the aims of the good life. For hundreds of years Epicureanism was one of the dominant schools of philosophy.

But by the 6th century it had all but disappeared. Discovering how and why Epicureanism was driven from philosophy and public discourse reveals much about how Western thought developed. Despite attempts to erase him, the lessons of Epicurus have been recovered from the mists of time and the ashes of Vesuvius. How he was restored to his place in history is a story of brilliant Renaissance scholars, chance discoveries, and a hunger for intellectual freedom.

This new biography of Epicurus reveals the life of Epicurus and traces how his teachings have influenced thinkers across time. Epicurus still has much to teach us about friendship, happiness, and our place in the world.

• Cover
• Halftitle
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
• Introduction
• Part I: Epicurus’ Philosophy
  • Atoms
  • How to Know
  • On the Nature of the Universe
  • On the Gods
  • The Soul of the Matter
  • The Good Life
  • On Friendship
  • Not a Political Animal
  • The Wise Man
• Part II: The Philosopher
  • The State of the State
  • The Early Epicurus
  • Life in the Garden
  • Epicurus the Man
  • Epicurus’ Books
  • Death
• Part III: Classical Reception
  • The Philosopher and the King
  • The Early Epicureans: The Members of the Garden
  • Metrodorus
  • Polyaenus
  • Hermarchus
  • Polystratus
  • Leontion
  • Others of the Garden
  • Leading the Garden
  • Epicurus in Rome
  • Atticus the Almost Epicurean
  • The Epicurean Assassin
  • Epicurean Poets
  • A Never Forgotten Slight
  • Philodemus on the Shore
  • Diogenes of Oinoanda
  • Lucian of Samosata
  • Stoics vs Epicureans
  • On the Malice of Plutarch
  • Imperial Protection and Damnation
  • The Sage vs the Christians
• Part IV: Recovering Epicurus
  • The Fires of Vesuvius
  • Epicurus from the Dark
  • On the Nature of Things
  • Christian Atomism
  • Translating Epicurus
  • The Epicurean Enlightenment
  • Epicurus and the Modern World
• Epilogue
• Acknowledgements
• General Bibliography
• Plates