The Letter to Menoeceus - Translation By Cyril Bailey

We are now requiring that new registrants confirm their request for an account by email.  Once you complete the "Sign Up" process to set up your user name and password, please send an email to the New Accounts Administator to obtain new account approval.

Regularly Checking In On A Small Screen Device? Bookmark THIS page!
    Quote from camotero
    Quote from Nate

    ceaselessly satisfied being

    This makes much more sense than inmortal being. Could this be a mis interpretation of the greek word too? What was it?

    Epicurus: τὸν θεὸν ζῷον ἄφθαρτον καὶ μακάριον

    A god is a ἄφθαρτον and μακάριον being (or image depending how you interpret
    ζῷον)


    ἄφθαρτον = incorruptible, undying, eternal, uncorrupted

    μακάριον = blessed, completely happy, etc

    Quote from Don

    Epicurus: τὸν θεὸν ζῷον ἄφθαρτον καὶ μακάριον


    A god is a ἄφθαρτον and μακάριον being (or image depending how you interpret
    ζῷον)

    Does "kai" only translate to "and"?

    How do you get from that to "ceaselessly satisfied " Eikadistes ?

    It would be awesome to know there's a meaning of kai that allows for "incorruptible blessedness" 🤪

    Honestly, I'm still in the Sedley idealist camp since, to my mind, the only way something could be ἄφθαρτον is if it is a mental construction, something in our imagination to who we stream images of a being who is experiencing an eternally pleasurable state of being. I admit I need to read more and meditate on these things, because Epicurus placed a great deal of importance on this.

    Quote from Cassius

    For it is better in a man’s actions that what is well chosen (should fail, rather than that what is ill chosen) should be successful owing to chance.

    Quote from Epicurus Reader

    For it is better for a good decision not to turn out right in action than for a bad decision to turn out right because of chance.

    It seems clear that a right (successful) or bad (failing) result of our decisions would be related to whether or not it resulted in pleasure/pain... right?

    But... What is a good (well) or bad (ill) choice/decision in the first place? One made using our senses and feelings?

    Anyone thinks of a didactic example?

    Camotero I think what you are questioning is the issue of the canon -- what it is, how to use it, etc. So simply saying "using our senses and feelings" is a start, but not the whole. You would need to incorporate all three of the legs of the canon, and then consider the rules of comparison and analogy (rather than abstract logical reasoning) of which we only have fragments of the full description.

    If you decide to read further into that, I recommend the long appendix, and then the text, of the DeLacy translation of Philodemus' "On Signs" or "On Methods of Inference" (same work; different title).

    I think what Epicurus is saying is that for the most success in life we need to tune our functioning to understanding Epicurean philosophy and how to apply it. No doubt we can feel relieved if something turns out pleasurable as a result of a decision made in an improper way, but I think he is saying that if we indulge that method consciously and regularly we are bound to suffer for it not because there is fate, but because we succeed best when we worth "with" the nature of things and not "against" it or in ignorance of it.

Unread Threads

    1. Title
    2. Replies
    3. Last Reply

    2. Immutability of Epicurean school in ancient times 11

      • TauPhi
      • July 29, 2025 at 2:14 PM
    3. Replies
      11
      Views
      696
      11

    4. Eikadistes

      July 29, 2025 at 2:14 PM

    2. Recorded Statements of Metrodorus 11

      • Cassius
      • July 28, 2025 at 7:23 PM
    3. Replies
      11
      Views
      587
      11

    4. Cassius

      July 28, 2025 at 7:23 PM

    2. Philodemus' "On Anger" - General - Texts and Resources 20

      • Cassius
      • July 8, 2025 at 7:33 AM
    3. Replies
      20
      Views
      7.7k
      20

    4. Kalosyni

      July 8, 2025 at 7:33 AM

Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com

What's the best strategy for finding things on EpicureanFriends.com? Here's a suggested search strategy:

  • First, familiarize yourself with the list of forums. The best way to find threads related to a particular topic is to look in the relevant forum. Over the years most people have tried to start threads according to forum topic, and we regularly move threads from our "general discussion" area over to forums with more descriptive titles.
  • Use the "Search" facility at 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." Also check the "Search Assistance" page.
  • Use the "Tag" facility, starting with the "Key Tags By Topic" in the right hand navigation pane, or using the "Search By Tag" page, or the "Tag Overview" page which contains a list of all tags alphabetically. We curate the available tags to keep them to a manageable number that is descriptive of frequently-searched topics.