Dating the Works of Epicurus

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    I was wondering if anyone had come across any material related to dating Epicurus' works.

    I found a few references from Sedley and Arrighetti:


    On Nature, Book 1c. 311-310 BCE
    On Nature, Book 2c. 311-306 BCE
    On Nature, Book 4c. 311-306 BCE
    On Nature, Book 11c. 311-306 BCE
    On Nature, Book 12c. 311-306 BCE
    On Nature, Book 13c. 307-306 BCE
    On Nature, Book 14c. 301-300 BCE
    Epistle to Herodotusc. 301-300 BCE
    Epistle to Menoikeusc. 300 BCE
    On Nature, Book 15c. 300-299 BCE
    On Nature, Book 25c. 299-295 BCE
    On Nature, Book 28c. 296-295 BCE
    Epistle to Pythoclesc. 295-290 BCE
    Last Willc. 270 BCE
    Epistle to Idomeneusc. 270 BCE


    Sedley, On Nature XXVIII 14-16

    Arrighetti, La struttura dell’Epistola di Epicuro a Pitocle 127e

    Edited once, last by Eikadistes (October 27, 2024 at 9:05 AM).

    Quote from Eikadistes

    On Nature, Book 26, c. 296-295 BCE

    I think you intended this to say book 28, which ends:

    "Epíkouros' On Nature Book 28, from the early writings… written in the period of Nicias, who followed Antiphátēs."

    Nicias was eponymous archon in 296/295 BC, following Antiphátēs who was eponymous archon in 297/296 BC. Therefore, book 28 was probably written in 295 BC, when Epíkouros was 45 years old. As Sedley points out, it is possible instead that 295 BC is the date of the republication of this particular edition (and Book 28 was originally written earlier).

    Thank you for the list!

    While we can't date the more popular publications, Philodemus provides an unusually-well-documented list of Epistles, dated per each Archon. Clay preserves this list (51-54):


    (forgive the formatting errors)

    YEAR/S - Archon Name
    - Epistle No. Common name (reference).


    307/6 - Anaxikrates
    The date of Epicurus' move to Athens, Diogenes Laertius, X.2.)

    300/299 - Hegemachos
    - No. 1. Peri phuseos Book XV (Arrighetti, p. 292).

    296/5 - Nikias
    - No. 2. Peri phuseos Book XXVIII (Arrighetti, p. 321).
    - No. 3. A letter written eri Nikíov, Philodemos, On Epicurus II, fr. 1.7 (Vogliano, p. 59).

    294/3 - Olympiodoros
    - No. 4. A letter to a person unknown, from Philodemos, Праумаа XIV.11

    292/1 - Philippos
    - No. 5. A letter to Polyainos and Leonteus of Lampsakos on the Stoics in Athens, Pap.Herc. 176, fr. 5, XXIV. 14-15 (Vogliano, p. 50; Arrighetti, [67]).
    - No. 6. To Themista of Lampsakos reporting on the young Pythokles, Philodemos, Пра MOTEiaL IV.8-10 (Arrighetti, [501).
    - No. 7. To friends in Lampsakos on poverty, Philodemos, On Wealth XXXV.38 (Tepedino Guerra, p. 67; Arrighetti, [96]).

    291/0 - Charinos
    - No. 8. Letters sent to Polyainos, Charino magistratu, Seneca, Epistulae 18.9 (Arrighetti, [831).
    - No. 9. A letter to Polyainos, Philodemos, On Epicurus, fr. 5.1 (Vogliano, p. 65; Arrighetti [841).
    - No. 10. A letter to a person unknown, Philodemos, On Piety, Pap. Herc. 1098, X. 12 (Gomperz, p. 125; Arrighetti, [106] [lines 938-939 Obbink]).
    - No. 11. To a person unknown, Philodemos, On Piety, Pap. Herc. 1077, X.1 (Gomperz, p. 105; Arrighetti, [107] [lines 840-841 Obbink]).
    - No. 12. To Polyainos on poverty, Philodemos, On Wealth XXXIV.8 (Tepedino Guerra, p. 66; Arrighetti. (1081).
    - No. 13. A letter to a person unknown, Philodemos, On Wealth XXXV.8 (Tepedino Guerra, p. 67; Arrighetti, [109]).

    290/289 - Telokles
    - No. 14. To Mithres, on a reversal of fortune, Philodemos, On Wealth XXXVI.9 (Tepedino Guerra, p. 67; Arrighetti, [791).

    289/8 - Aristonymos
    - No. 15. To Mithres, acknowledging a contribution to the school, Philodemos, Прааеа XXXIV.1 (Diano, p. 32; Arrighetti, [74]).
    - No. 16. To Phyrson of Kolophon on the piety of a certain Theodotos. Philodemos. On Piety, Pap. Herc. 1098, XII. 15 (Gomperz, p. 127; Arrighetti, [93] [lines 797-801 Obbink]).

    286/5 Diokles
    - No. 17. A letter to Anaxarchos and Leontion, Pap. Herc. 176, fr. 5, XXV.31-32 (Vogliano, p. 51).

    285/4 Diotimos
    - No. 18. To Phyrson, Philodemos, Прауата XV.1-2 (Arrighetti, [94]).
    - No. 19. If the name Diotimos is that of the archon; cf. No. 11. A Diotimos appears in Pap. Herc. 1780, VIII, fr. 1 [On Piety, lines 841-842 Obbink]. If he is Diotimos Euvóotov EnuaxiSns he cannot be the recipient of a letter from Epicurus; cf. W. Croenert, Kolotes und Menedemos, Leipzig 1906, pp. 82-83.

    284/3 Isaios
    - No. 20. To a person unknown, Philodemos, Прауратє XXXII. 14 (Diano, p. 19; Arrighetti, [110]).
    - No. 21. To a person unknown, apparently on the education of the sons of Menoikeus, Phi- lodemos, adv. [Sophistas], fr. 16 (Sbordone 1947, p. 78; Arrighetti, [111]).

    283/2 Euthios
    - No. 22. On a setback of the Macedonians to a person unknown, Philodemos, On the Stoics, Pap. Herc. 339, V.9 (Arrighetti, [112]) [**Gli Stoici" VI.9 Dorandi].

    281/0 Ourios
    - No. 23. To Leonteus, Philodemos, Iayatr XXXII.15-16 (Diano, p. 19; Arrighetti, [68]).

    279/8 Anaxikrates
    - No. 24. To a person unknown, Philodemos, On the Stoics V.13, En'] 'Avatuk[p]á[rous (cf. Croenert [under No. 19], p. 54, n. 259) [*Gli Stoici" VI.13 Dorandil.

    278/7 Demokles
    - No. 25. To Kolotes of Lampsakos, possibly on the death of Metrodoros, Pap. Herc. 176, fr. 5, XXVIII.3-4 (Vogliano, p. 54 [cf. Gomperz in Hermes 5, 1871, pp. 387-388]; Arrighetti,[62]).
    - No. 26. To Mithres, Philodemos, Maya XXIX. 17 (Diano, p. 15; Arrighetti, [75]).

    274/3 Euboulos
    - No. 27. To Idomeneus of Lampsakos, Philodemos, Прауцат XXVI.14 (Diano, p.12; Arrighetti, [601).
    - No. 28. To Mithres on frugality, Philodemos.Прауатїа XXX.16-17 (Diano, p. 16; Arrighetti, [76]).
    - No. 29. To a person unknown, asking for somebooks of Demokritos, Philodemos, adv. [Sophistas], fr. 13 (Sbordone 1947, p. 75; Arrighetti, [113]).

    271/0 Pytharatos
    - No. 30. To Mithres on his approaching death, Philodemos, Прауатеа XXXI.3-4 (Diano, p. 17; Arrighetti, [77])

    I note that Epicurus maintained a correspondence with Mithres for over two decades.

    One other discovery (I think) I've made is this:

    By the Archonship of Sosistratus, beginning July of 270 BCE, Epicurus was already dead.

    When he celebrated his 71st birthday in February of 270 BCE, he was still alive.

    Most likely, Epicurus died in the Spring of that year.

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