LATEST LUCRETIUS TODAY PODCAST: Episode 318 - "In the End It Is Pleasure - Not Virtue - Which Gives Meaning To A Happy Life"  | Website Overview | Forum Navigation Map       

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  • Cassius February 4, 2026 at 3:31 PM

    Post
    […]

    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

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    […]

    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

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    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…

  • Martin February 4, 2026 at 11:21 AM

    Post
    I started a conversation between us.

    For now, I see the isotacheian model as something complementary, e.g. as an exercise for students, but not as an alternative way of teaching special relativity.

  • Cassius February 4, 2026 at 11:13 AM

    Thread
    A copy of the Mark Riley article, which gives the most information about this, is here.

    Here are a few other collected notes:

    Criticism of Socratic Irony

    Citation: Cicero, Brutus 85, 292 (= Fragment 231 Usener)

    Text: "It marks a man as free from conceit, and…

  • jcblackmon February 4, 2026 at 7:49 AM

    Post
    Hi Martin. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. I do plan to propose the isotacheian model as an alternative way of teaching special relativity. I don't know how we direct message here.

    And thank you Cassius for your message.

  • Cassius February 4, 2026 at 7:22 AM

    Post
    Just as Lucian praises Epicurus' skepticism in Alexander the Oracle Monger, Lucian provides here an example of a practical skepticism that demolishes aggressive Stoicism and the pursuit of "philosophy" as an end in itself.

    I find his argument very…

  • Cassius February 4, 2026 at 6:28 AM

    Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Post
    mlinssen tells us:

    I'm Martijn Linssen, author of 'the true words of Thomas' among others.

    Thomas may have an epicurean background. I have a classical education and have tried quite a few angles so far; while he certainly knew Phaedrus (Logion 47) and…

  • Cassius February 4, 2026 at 6:27 AM

    Posted the thread Welcome MLinssen!.
    Thread
    Welcome mlinssen !

    There is one last step to complete your registration:

    All new registrants must post a response to this message here in this welcome thread (we do this in order to minimize spam registrations).

    You must post your response within 24…

  • wbernys February 3, 2026 at 11:15 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Hania!.
    Post
    Greeting Hania! Happy to have you.

  • Joshua February 3, 2026 at 10:22 PM

    Post
    I'm not sure I succeeded in using "far fewer words", but here it is ^^

    I didn't listen to it, but I did finally read this dialogue yesterday for the first time, and I did find it interesting.

    Dramatis Personae

    Lycinus is generally regarded as an authorial…

  • Eikadistes February 3, 2026 at 9:19 PM

    Replied to the thread Epicurus vs the Cyreniacs.
    Post
    […]

    Here are some similarities (and differences) between the two:



    PHILOSOPHYEPICUREANISMCYRENAICISM
    FounderEpicurusAristippus
    HistoryEpicurus (341–270 BCE) founded this anti-Platonic ethical philosophy of non-deterministic atomism with the support of his
    …

  • Cassius February 3, 2026 at 7:41 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Hania!.
    Post
    Hania welcome, and be sure to let me know here or using the conversation system if you have any trouble with the forum software.

  • Cassius February 3, 2026 at 7:39 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Hania!.
    Post
    Hania tells me:

    In general I am interested in ancient hedonism. My BA thesis focused on Cyrenaics while my MA thesis was mainly about Epicurus' philosophical therapy. I am now researching more contemporary interpretations of hedonims while working on my…

  • Cassius February 3, 2026 at 7:38 PM

    Posted the thread Welcome Hania!.
    Thread
    Welcome hania

    There is one last step to complete your registration:

    All new registrants must post a response to this message here in this welcome thread (we do this in order to minimize spam registrations).

    You must post your response within 24 hours, or…

  • DaveT February 3, 2026 at 6:39 PM

    Post
    OK. I listened and read along for about half of the text intending to do so to the end. Then I couldn't put up with the verbal dialogue's pace and instead skimmed the rest of it by reading mostly Lycinus' commentary. I need some help here. I can't draw a…

  • Godfrey February 3, 2026 at 4:13 PM

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    Totally agree regarding modern competition. I spent my entire career, particularly the last 25 years, in a highly competitive big city working environment. Unfortunately, during that time I had never heard of Epicurus.

    However, the last 25 years were…

  • EdGenX February 3, 2026 at 11:55 AM

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    No, worries, and I look forward to next time!!

  • DaveT February 3, 2026 at 11:43 AM

    Replied to the thread Epicurus vs the Cyreniacs.
    Post
    Cassius Yes, as I am not familiar with his school, and I'd be interested in determining the extent of his influence on Epicurus' school, particularly since the Cyreniac school disappeared around the time period Epicurureanism was introduced and began…

  • DaveT February 3, 2026 at 11:02 AM

    Post
    […]

    […]

    The PD 21 speaks to me somewhat. As a small-town lawyer and then a writer and author, I understand you weren’t excluding any professions when you cited stockbrokers, etc. etc. as being the only ones subject to competition. I can add that in my…

  • TauPhi February 2, 2026 at 11:17 PM

    Replied to the thread Epicurus vs the Cyreniacs.
    Post
    The best online resource on Cyrenaics I'm aware of:
    https://lucianofsamosata.info/wiki/doku.php?…naics:cyrenaics

  • Bryan February 2, 2026 at 11:05 PM

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    This is great in many ways! This is Lucian's longest surviving work, and having audio versions of relevant writings is very desirable. I think they will be more helpful for “getting the word out” in the long term than written text.

    Different voices for…

  • Cassius February 2, 2026 at 9:15 PM

    Thread
    We've needed an audio version of Lucian's Hermotimus for a long time. Here's a first draft of one, with the two characters of the dialog recorded in separate voices, so the discussion can easily be followed even without the on-screen visible text. …

  • Cassius February 2, 2026 at 9:05 PM

    Post
    Here is the first draft of something I have been thinking of doing for a long time: an audio version of Lucian's "Hermotimus." It's far from perfect but so far as I know it's the only audio version of this dialog available. If you keep your…

  • Kalosyni February 2, 2026 at 5:29 PM

    Post
    […]

    Here is alternative to rings & necklaces:

    One inexpensive thing to do is to find an image of Epicurus online, and then print it out and frame it. Most libraries have printers if you don't have one yourself. The frame won't cost too much if you make it…

  • Eikadistes February 2, 2026 at 4:22 PM

    Post
    I am curious, too, if anyone has discovered any new seller! The only place I knew was Shapeways and Thangs Marketplace for 3D Creators. There was previously an order for a pendant with Epíkouros' face, available in plastic, silver, and gold, but they…

  • wbernys February 2, 2026 at 2:01 PM

    Thread
    Hope this appropriate for discussion. So i am getting really big into Epicurean iconography, just ordered a bunch of shirts and socks from the Epicurean Emporium but i would like some necklaces or rings, especially want a necklace, unfortunately they all…

  • Kalosyni February 2, 2026 at 1:35 PM

    Thread
    PD21. "He who has learned the limits of life knows that that which removes the pain due to want, and makes the whole of life complete, is easy to obtain, so that there is no need of actions which involve competition."

    I was curious what was meant by the…

  • Cassius February 2, 2026 at 11:43 AM

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    This video is now in version 3. At this point the Greek words have been transliterated to Latin text and many of the worst errors with prior versions have been corrected. Please continue to report errors for future correction.

    youtu.be/Bn_7_K8bSAM

  • Martin February 2, 2026 at 1:40 AM

    Replied to the thread Alexa in the Garden of Epicurus.
    Post
    […]

    Yes!

  • kochiekoch February 1, 2026 at 8:33 PM

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    Nope, I don't think Epicurus would say to lower your expectations and you'll never be disappointed. In point of fact, he says there is a limit to simple living, and the person that goes to extremes of simple living is a bad off as the person that goes to…

  • kochiekoch February 1, 2026 at 7:47 PM

    Replied to the thread Alexa in the Garden of Epicurus.
    Post
    I asked my browser's ai about this! ^^ And it said that both typing and voice have their strengths. Voice for more free flow work but real precision work, as in physics and philosophy typing is king as it enables reflection as the sentence is constructed.

  • Cassius February 1, 2026 at 4:29 PM

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    Sorry you missed it Ed -- hope to see you again soon.

  • Godfrey February 1, 2026 at 3:04 PM

    Replied to the thread Alexa in the Garden of Epicurus.
    Post
    From the morning paper:


    With AI, stop typing and just talk instead

    https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynam…716897b52&v=sdk


    Comics - Los Angeles Times

    https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynam…fa605abb4&v=sdk

    Unrelated to AI, there's an article that…

  • Kalosyni February 1, 2026 at 2:30 PM

    Post
    […]

    EdGenX Zoom links are always located in private conversations.

  • EdGenX February 1, 2026 at 12:33 PM

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    I need the link ...I can't find previous one

  • Kalosyni February 1, 2026 at 12:23 PM

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    Here is this same section, translated by Johnston:

    […]

    https://johnstoniatexts.x10host.com/lucretius/lucretiusall.pdf

  • DaveT February 1, 2026 at 8:19 AM

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    […]

    This quote from your post refers to Platonism/Aristotelianism. Indeed so! And can we agree though, that on some occasions we benefit from the black and white when we need to make a decision? Philosophically speaking I also find a significant degree…

  • Cassius February 1, 2026 at 4:05 AM

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

  • Cassius January 31, 2026 at 8:50 PM

    Thread
    Yes that's right -- we are still talking about Line 136 because we ended up devoting our last regular session to a further discussion of consciousness, and we did not reach 136 at that time.

    We'll therefore start with 136 and go as far as time allows,…

  • Godfrey January 31, 2026 at 12:49 PM

    Post
    My understanding is that it's essential not to separate virtues from living pleasantly, and that in PD05 Epicurus spells out the key virtues. We all agree that EP is a philosophy of personal responsibility and not of absolutes, and this must be kept in…

  • Kalosyni January 31, 2026 at 12:22 PM

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    […]

    Perfectionism and black-and-white thinking (and other problems).

  • Kalosyni January 31, 2026 at 11:46 AM

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    […]

    I think that comparing and contrasting between ancient schools provides a lens for learning about Epicurean philosophy and there are still aspects of Platonism/Aristotelian thinking in the modern world -- and by thinking through things at the abstract…

  • DaveT January 31, 2026 at 9:32 AM

    Replied to the thread Happy Birthday General Thread.
    Post
    Agreed. I know we each are not what we do for a living, but rather we're people who do work or study or other pastimes that influence how we think. I like hearing other perspectives in the forum and knowing a bit more about other participants enhances my…

  • DaveT January 31, 2026 at 9:26 AM

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    Cassius   Kalosyni I'm glad for the questions since it helps me clarify my own thinking.

    […]

    I guess it is my inclination to look for clarity for modernity’s application of the ancient wisdoms that engendered my post. My tentative conclusion/question…

  • Cassius January 31, 2026 at 8:30 AM

    Post
    Episode 318 of the Lucretius Today Podcast is now available. This week our episode is entitled: "In the End It Is Pleasure - Not Virtue - That Gives Meaning To A Happy Life."

    [media]https://www.spreaker.com/episode/69707702/media

  • Cassius January 31, 2026 at 4:05 AM

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

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    2. New Audio Version of Lucian's Hermotiimus

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      • February 2, 2026 at 9:15 PM
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    2. Updating Of EpicurusToday.com 8

      • Cassius
      • January 11, 2026 at 7:02 PM
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    4. TauPhi

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