Core Epicurean Texts

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Below are links to our collection of texts here at EpicureanFriends.com, as well as links to other resources and our Recommended Reading list. Click here for our Discussion Forums Dedicated To The Ancient Texts Relevant To Epicurus.

Texts Written By Epicureans

  • Epicurus' Letter to Herodotus. Epicurus' primary letter on physics and the beginning points of his philosophy. A PDF prepared by Tau Phi with three parallel public domain translations of this and the other letters of Epicurus is here. As of this writing 4/7/25, a work-in-progress of a side-by-side page is here, but the text and especially the line numbers are not yet reliable.
  • Epicurus' Letter to Pythocles. Epicurus' primary letter on understanding the phenomena we see in the sky.
  • Epicurus' Letter to Menoeceus. Epicurus' primary letter on ethics and how to live.
  • Lucretius' "On The Nature of Things" The monumental poetic presentation of Epicurean philosophy. This link takes you to the EpicureanFriends Lucretius Navigation Guide where you can select from several Lucretius translations. Please post comments and questions in the Lucretius forum here. A three column topical outline and finding aid for Lucretius is here. For easy linking to particular sections, a side-by-side version with three public domain translations is here.
  • Diogenes of Oinoanda's Inscription. This link takes you to a page in Catalonia where the Martin Ferguson Smith translation is available.
  • Twelve Fundamentals of Nature. This list of twelve observations about Nature no longer survives, but various commentators have suggested its contents based on what survives in the Letter to Herodotus and Lucretius Books One And Two.

Compilations / Commentaries

  • Biography of Epicurus By Diogenes Laertius. The ancient biography of Epicurus, containing several letters and the list of his key doctrines. A PDF prepared by Tau Phi with three parallel public domain translations of this and the other letters of Epicurus is here. As of this writing 4/7/25, a work-in-progress of a side-by-side page is here, but the text and especially the line numbers are not yet reliable.
  • Torquatus from "On Ends." An excellent presentation of the Epicurean view of the relationship between "Pleasure" and "Virtue." This document was prepared by Cicero based on Epicurean texts available to him around 50 BC. Click the following for the Complete On Ends as translated by Reid.
  • Velleius from "On The Nature of the Gods." A presentation on the Epicurean view of the gods as they exist in the intermundia. As with "On Ends," Cicero's "On the Nature of the Gods" was prepared based presumably on Epicurean authorities of his time.
  • Principal Doctrines. This list of forty doctrines focuses on attitudes and observations important in living an Epicurean life.
  • Vatican Collection of Epicurean Sayings. This list of Epicurean sayings was found in the Vatican Library.
  • Letter to Idomeneus. Epicurus' letter on his dying day.
  • The Will of Epicurus. Epicurus' last will and testament.
  • Usener's Epicurea. The original of this document is in Greek and Latin. Click here for the latest information on the Harris pdf version.
  • EpicureanFriends Fragment Collection (Curated Collection of Usener and Bailey's Collection of Fragments). A work-in-progress "Topical Collection" is here.

Other Texts And Documents


Reading Recommendations

We are frequently asked about a list of recommended reading. Click Below for our recommended reading list:

Can You Suggest A Reading List For New Students of Epicurus? - Epicureanfriends.com
www.epicureanfriends.com

Usener's Epicurea

Many fragments either by or referencing Epicureans in the ancient world can be found in Herman Usener's Epicurea. Unfortunately for us, that work is largely a collection of Greek and Latin texts, and Usener himself wrote in German, so we must generally resort to translations. Click here for our page on Usener and a PDF of Usener's collection prepared by Bryan Harris

Notes

Here is a "library" page at NewEpicurean.com with links to where many additional translations are available for free on the internet.

Below is a chart of topics linked to the places where they are discussed here at EpicureanFriends.com:

Key Discussions By Topic

Physics:Canonics:Ethics:
Atoms and Void - Properties, Qualities, Emergence, and Rejection of Atomic ReductionismEpicurean Methods of Reasoning And Determining TruthPleasure As the Highest Good
Epicurean Gods And Life Elsewhere In The Universe(1) Five SensesVirtue As Instrumental To Pleasure
The Impossibility of Life After Death(2) Feeling - Pleasure and PainThe Relationship of Pleasure To Absence of Pain And Disturbance
The Existence of "the Swerve"(3) Anticipations / Preconceptions / ProlepsisEmotion In Epicurean Philosophy
The Universe As Eternal In TimeThe Trustworthiness of the SensesEngagement With The Non-Epicurean World
The Universe As Infinite In SpaceThe Significance of "Images"Agency / Free Will
The Universe As Having No Center Friendship in Epicurean Philosophy
The Impossibility of Infinite Divisibility Justice in Epicurean Philosophy
Epicurean Lifestyle and Self-Improvement

Click Here For The Master List of All Forums

Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com

Here is a list of suggested search strategies:

  • Website Overview page - clickable links arrranged by cards.
  • Forum Main Page - list of forums and subforums arranged by topic. Threads are posted according to relevant topics. The "Uncategorized subforum" contains threads which do not fall into any existing topic (also contains older "unfiled" threads which will soon be moved).
  • Search Tool - icon is located on the top right of every page. Note that the search box asks you what section of the forum you'd like to search. If you don't know, select "Everywhere."
  • Search By Key Tags - curated to show frequently-searched topics.
  • Full Tag List - an alphabetical list of all tags.