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  • Kalosyni February 7, 2026 at 5:53 PM

    Post
    […]

    I'm getting hung up on the word "virtue" and it's meaning.

    Cassius it seems like instead of this sentence ending in "virtuous" it could end in the word "good" or "beneficial".

    I haven't studied enough to know what all of the various ancient Greek…

  • Cassius February 7, 2026 at 1:57 PM

    Thread
    This Sunday we will continue at line 146 of Book One of Lucretius and continue into 159 to the extent we have time.



    https://handbook.epicureanfriends.com/sbslucretius/#1-146



    This terror then, this darkness of the mind, must needs be scattered not by the…

  • Cassius February 7, 2026 at 1:54 PM

    Post
    […]

    […]

    I think those two observations are key. There's nothing magic about "virtue" or its classifications. But Epicurus was developing his philosophy in a cultural context in which certain words were used to refer to certain things, so he chose to…

  • DaveT February 7, 2026 at 1:35 PM

    Post
    […]

    I googled ancient Greek Virtues and came away with those four. The search also identified Prudence as a subset of Wisdom. My personal definitions of those Greek’s Virtues? I’m not sure, but I’ll take a shot at it. Wisdom includes making choices…

  • Cassius February 7, 2026 at 12:34 PM

    Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.
    Post
    […]

    What? Define the goal purely negatively? If that were the case Epicurus could have stopped at "freedom from pain" without ever referring to pleasure (?)

  • Kalosyni February 7, 2026 at 9:37 AM

    Post
    For anyone who is interested in reading the Philodemus text, check out these two posts:

    RE: Tsouna's On Choices and Avoidances and here:

    RE: Tsouna's On Choices and Avoidances

  • Kalosyni February 7, 2026 at 9:34 AM

    Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.
    Post
    […]

    wbernys Thanks for sharing this here, and this is an interesting project that perhaps all Epicureans should take on -- a project in which we each define the virtues in our own words, and as Epicurean philosophy directs, as the means to which a…

  • Cassius February 7, 2026 at 4:05 AM

    Replied to the thread Happy Birthday General Thread.
    Post
    Happy Birthday to Auskalo! Learn more about Auskalo and say happy birthday on Auskalo's timeline: Auskalo

  • Cassius February 7, 2026 at 4:05 AM

    Replied to the thread Happy Birthday General Thread.
    Post
    Happy Birthday to ZarathustrasGarden! Learn more about ZarathustrasGarden and say happy birthday on ZarathustrasGarden's timeline: ZarathustrasGarden

  • wbernys February 6, 2026 at 10:25 PM

    Post
    […]

    Even though Epicurus himself didn't list these virtues both Torquatus and Philodemus both mention all these virtues (Philodemus mentioning even more) as essential. Torquatus chiefly mentions the four cardinal virtues as essential and gives detailed…

  • Patrikios February 6, 2026 at 7:11 PM

    Post
    […]

    DaveT ,

    Could you provide your definitions for these terms, or is there an Epicurean text that groups these 4 virtues as essential?


    For example, in PD5, as Kalosyni just cited, we find prudence and justice. But where is temperance required, if I…

  • mlinssen February 6, 2026 at 12:05 PM

    Post
    One last for now, on the positive things in Thomas or his teachings.

    This is my summary, in my words. Some exaggeration, a pinch of mean, as support for the notion that all this is a matter of life and death really, to Thomas

    We are dualised divided…

  • mlinssen February 6, 2026 at 11:23 AM

    Post
    […]

    When we simply go by the evidence, there are no signs of any Jesus nor Thomas at all whatsoever. Thomas could be excused of course, whereas Jesus - but let's not wander off ;)

    If you're interested in some very interesting research, I recommend Markus…

  • mlinssen February 6, 2026 at 11:15 AM

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    […]

    29. IS said if indeed the Flesh has come to be because of Spirit, a wonder is <the flesh>; if indeed Spirit However because of the Body, a wonder [of wonder] is <the Body>. Rather, I myself wonder this one: Ho[w] did [this] great richness dwell in…

  • wbernys February 6, 2026 at 10:57 AM

    Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.
    Post
    It is kind of a reddit term so on second thought I'm gonna remove it.

  • wbernys February 6, 2026 at 10:45 AM

    Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.
    Post
    Effort post just means something like long post with effort put in..

  • mlinssen February 6, 2026 at 10:34 AM

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    […]

    Thank you Eikadistes!
    Language is a living creature, and translated texts fixated in time. They need to be renewed every now and then for sure. With regards to Thomas, what has been produced by biblical academic simply *is* wrong at points, unsupported…

  • Cassius February 6, 2026 at 7:45 AM

    Thread
    Welcome to Episode 320 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the…

  • Cassius February 6, 2026 at 7:30 AM

    Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.
    Post
    Wbernys I haven't had the opportunity to read this in full but thank you. In the meantime however i am not quite sure what you mean by the title "[Effort Post]"? Do you mean prototype, or "Work-in-Progress," or something else?

  • wbernys February 6, 2026 at 1:33 AM

    Posted the thread Epicurean Virtue.
    Thread
    I am going to upload this to reddit on the Epicureanism subreddit, but I wanted you all have this version available to you first, since i know you all will appreciate it, and secondly, it as a token of gratitude to Cassius for the bold step of…

  • Martin February 6, 2026 at 1:26 AM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Hania!.
    Post
    Welcome Hania!

  • Cassius February 5, 2026 at 9:15 PM

    Post
    Episode 319 of the Lucretius Today Podcast is now available. This week our episode is entitled: "Is the Key To Happiness Found In Supernatural Causes and Geometry?"

    [media]https://www.spreaker.com/episode/69830730/media

  • DaveT February 5, 2026 at 9:12 PM

    Post
    My own research on the peer reviewed research on the mythology of a historical Jesus, in addition to the questions of the accuracy of translations, I'm not even clear whether Thomas existed as a historical person.

    Indeed, the line of thought that the …

  • Patrikios February 5, 2026 at 6:12 PM

    Post
    […]

    Kalosyni ,

    Thank you for raising this topic.

    As I read the first quotation you mentioned, I am struck by the need for keen observation in order to gain accurate knowledge! This means not only looking at something in nature, but really seeing and…

  • wbernys February 5, 2026 at 4:13 PM

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    Edited. Sorry.

    Here's another link if above doesn't work.

    https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc…y2SNQN23lM_X2wl

  • Cassius February 5, 2026 at 4:05 PM

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    I presume we can find on Academia but could you possibly a link?

  • wbernys February 5, 2026 at 2:59 PM

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    As is typical I find a good article after making a post.

    If anyone else is interested in this question I found a good article by Bill Wringe called "Epicurean Wills, Empty Hopes, and the Problem of Post Mortem Concern" which responds directly to Warren…

  • EdGenX February 5, 2026 at 2:21 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Post
    Welcome aboard Mlinssen!

  • Cassius February 5, 2026 at 11:57 AM

    Post
    […]

    Ok so that's a big one. So there is no eternal soul?

    […]

    Without being graphic, what's the general basis of this criticism. We know that Diogenes of Oinoanda is critical as well based on what appears to be general ethics, but what's the general basis…

  • Eikadistes February 5, 2026 at 11:54 AM

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    This is an awesome contribution of material. thank you for sharing your work!

    […]

    I've come to the same conclusion with regards to translations. I've found that many of our translation of classical texts come from stuffy British lords in the late…

  • wbernys February 5, 2026 at 11:49 AM

    Post
    […]

    Agreed, I feel like a common thread to the less insightful commentators is ignoring Epicurus aim of being a moral reformer and therapist as DeWitt explains. Emily Austin also i feel understands this point of Epicurus mission. I think philosophers like…

  • Cassius February 5, 2026 at 11:34 AM

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    (ADMIN NOTE) -- I moved two new posts over into this thread. For the time being let's keep the discussion of the Gospel of Thomas here in one place where people can best follow it. There is clearly some interest in this topic, but it's hard to assess…

  • Cassius February 5, 2026 at 11:14 AM

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    As we introduce Academic Questions in this episode, of particular note is Joshua's extended discussion of a "house of mirrors" analogy in characterizing the meaning of Plato's cave and associated non-Epicurean philosophies. The episode will be out by…

  • Cassius February 5, 2026 at 10:23 AM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Hania!.
    Post
    Again Hania welcome aboard and let us know how we can be of help. There's literally lifetimes worth of material that are relevant and worth reading, and most of us take many years before things start to come together into a coherent whole. We're happy…

  • mlinssen February 5, 2026 at 10:05 AM

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    Epicurus, and Thomas

    I am going to start a new post on this, in order to try and keep it manageable

    ##### #####

    I will be going through Thomas up until 19, tasting death/mother, and try to summarise it in as few words as possible, including all logia in…

  • hania February 5, 2026 at 9:03 AM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Hania!.
    Post
    Thank you Cassius and hello everyone!

    As stated in my message I am an aspiring young researcher. So far my main field of interest was ancient hedonism - so Aristippus and his school and of course Epicurus later. The main focus of my studies is then…

  • Cassius February 5, 2026 at 7:50 AM

    Post
    I agree with your concern Wbernys. I strongly object to Cicero's analysis and my objection applies to Warren too. Getting rid of the fear of our own state in "being dead" is the issue I think Epicurus is addressing. There are many other aspects of issues…

  • wbernys February 5, 2026 at 4:28 AM

    Thread
    A strong objection to Epicurus found in Cicero and discovered in Warren (2001): Epicurus' Dying Wishes is that writing a will, and providing for people after die, such as Diogene of Oenoanda stone writings cannot be justified with Epicurus claim that " …

  • Martin February 4, 2026 at 8:13 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Post
    Welcome Martijn!

  • Cassius February 4, 2026 at 7:04 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Post
    Thanks to Nate for reminding me of that previous thread which I had totally forgotten. Glad to have you on the case, Nate, and I guess we should tag Titus here too!

  • DaveT February 4, 2026 at 6:53 PM

    Post
    […]

    Yes, I read it!

  • mlinssen February 4, 2026 at 4:54 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Post
    […]

    Greetings, Eikadistes!

    Yes I saw that, and my translation got named at some point. I have found the answer to the title question in the meantime. From my latest Translation version:

    >>>

    Thomas opens with the words:

    these are the words which are hiding; IS…

  • mlinssen February 4, 2026 at 4:45 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Post
    […]

    For sure I'm here for Epicureanism, and the classical one at that.

    This will sound presumptuous, but I know of two (and then some) good summaries of Thomas, and I've pretty much read them all. Thousands of commentators view Thomas through an orthodox…

  • Eikadistes February 4, 2026 at 4:37 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Post
    Greetings, friend!

    We have some brief discussion of the Gospel of Thomas here, but it's largely as a result of a critical discussion about the book "You Will Not Taste Death: Jesus and Epicureanism".

    I would love to learn more about any linguistic…

  • Cassius February 4, 2026 at 3:31 PM

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    […]

    The thrust of Lucian / Lycinus' position is applicable to all schools. including Epicurus' school, because it's not a denunciation of all knowledge. It's a test of knowledge that applies to any school. I would say and I would argue Lucian saw too…

  • Joshua February 4, 2026 at 2:30 PM

    Post
    […]

    I was primarily thinking of this other letter, which is the most relevant and accessible of Lucian's works that I've read. His expressed admiration for Epicurus in this letter may be a courtesy to his Epicurean correspondent, but I personally think…

  • DaveT February 4, 2026 at 1:29 PM

    Post
    Joshua Thanks for your thoughtful post above. Your last line leads me to another question:

    […]

    Do you mean Lucian's view as elsewhere stated? Because I was taking the thrust of his position as you stated to be applicable to Epicurus' school as well as…

  • Cassius February 4, 2026 at 12:29 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Post
    Of course we presume that you're here to discuss Epicurus, so of course focus on that, but why don't you point us to a place you consider to be a good summary of Thomas and that will probably help us understand your background better.

  • Cassius February 4, 2026 at 12:26 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Post
    I am not familiar with Thomas so as to understand the parallels but take a look around!

    I just got finished posting a link to an article on the Epicurean criticism of Socrates, so we all go forward knowing that there are different paths. We don't know…

  • mlinssen February 4, 2026 at 11:56 AM

    Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Post
    Thank you Cassius.

    Pretty much the above has brought me here.

    I'm from NL and followed the equivalent of grammar school: 5 years of Latin and 4 years of Greek in secondary school. Socrates was my hero, all the Romans were boring: adolescence in a nutshell…

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