Nate's "Back of the Book" Graphic

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!

    Nate has revised his "Back of the Book" graphic to substitute a quote from Lucretius for the one formerly listed by Laertius. It turns out that that previous clip, while absolutely accurate in substance, was more of a combination of comments from Laertius and Lucian. Since we didn't want two quotes from Lucian, and Lucretius deserves inclusion anyway, please keep THIS version for the future and sharing on social media. Thanks Nate!

    Also, I wanted to post this as a forum thread so people could find the graphic more easily. There will be discussion of the graphic under the comments to the graphic itself, but sometimes those aren't as easy to find when searching as a forum post.

    The primary home of the graphic is here: Back of Book - Epicurus as a Modern Best-Selling Author

    And here's the image again:

    468-back-of-book-epicurus-as-a-modern-best-selling-author

    Thread

    Lucretius' Appearance - Research into What He Looked Like

    For the time being I'll start this thread with this. I know we can find information about the Lucretius ring in the introduction to one of Munro's editions to his Lucretius. And I clipped that photo of the ring somewhere, so that exists on the internet too, but I don't know where the original is located. The sketches in the second picture are, on the left, from the sketchbook of Herculaneum discoveries (need link) and the one on the right is from the Munro book.



    …
    Cassius
    May 13, 2021 at 10:22 AM


    My favorite quote on Lucretius comes from Ovid in his Amores.

    Quote

    The verses of sublime Lucretius are destined to perish only when a single day will consign the world to destruction.

    Cicero, in a letter to his brother;

    Quote

    The poems of Lucretius are as you write: they exhibit many flashes of genius, and yet show great mastership.

    Albert Einstein, in a preface to a German edition;

    Quote

    For anyone who is not completely submerged in the spirit of our age, who feels instead like a spectator as the world goes past him, especially, from time to time, vis-à-vis the intellectual attitudes of his contemporaries — on him will Lucretius's poem work its magic

    George Santayana;

    Quote

    That things have their poetry, not because of what we make them symbols of, but because of their own movement and life, is what Lucretius proves once for all to mankind.

    Quote

    Whether it be a wind blowing, a torrent rushing, a lamb bleating, the magic of love, genius achieving its purpose, or a war, or a pestilence, Lucretius sees everything in its causes, and in its total career. One breath of lavish creation, one iron law of change, runs through the whole, making all things kin in their inmost elements and in their last end. Here is the touch of nature indeed, her largeness and eternity. Here is the true echo of the life of matter.

    And–why not! Lucy Hutchinson;

    Quote

    [...] I found I never understood him till I learned to abhor him, and dread a wanton dalliance with impious books.

Unread Threads

    1. Title
    2. Replies
    3. Last Reply

    2. Beyond Stoicism (2025) 16

      • Don
      • August 12, 2025 at 2:04 PM
    3. Replies
      16
      Views
      306
      16

    4. Don

      August 12, 2025 at 2:04 PM

    2. Immutability of Epicurean school in ancient times 11

      • TauPhi
      • July 29, 2025 at 2:14 PM
    3. Replies
      11
      Views
      874
      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
      724
      11

    4. Cassius

      July 28, 2025 at 7:23 PM

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.