The Early Epicureans v1.0 [video]

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Very well done Joshua !

Since we are talking about the founders of the school, I have to admit that I have trouble myself identifying between Hermarchus and Metrodorus. Does everyone agree with the labeling here? And in turn do we agree that the book about which Godfrey recently posted has Hermarchus on the cover?

It's certainly not Epicurus on the cover. Looks more like Hermarchus than Metrodorus; the source photo is probably online somewhere, but I haven't found it.

For some reason I think I can picture Hermarchus in my mind based on the statue and picture how he looked, but there is something about the Metrodorus statue that makes it harder for me to get a grip on his features.

I would have labeled them like that. Busts of Hermarchus I've seen show him as a guy with an average head size. Busts of Metrodorus depict him as a man with a larger head and broad face.

My money in on Hermarchus as well. I found very detailed 3D model of Epicurus and Metrodorus double bust here:

Epicurus and Metrodorus - 3D model by Flyover Zone (@FlyoverZone)

Name: Epicurus and Metrodorus Material: Cast Format: Double Herm Museum: Abguss-Sammlung Antiker Plastik Museum of original: Capitoline Museums, Rome,…

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On close inspection, the dude on the cover of the book is clearly not as handsome as Metrodorus.

Jokes aside, check out that 3D model. It's quite impressive.

The base of this statue reads Ἕρμαρχoς Hermarchos and is the image on the book cover to the left.

Don what about Metrodorus? Do you have good images of him and a good fix on his face?

This is from Frischer's Book The Sculpted Word, Cassius.

Epicurus.info : Photos - Capitoline Museum (Rome)

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(M)etrodōros

Looks like the stone has been repaired, splitting off the initial M.

Epicurus's beard is typically more forked while it looks like Metrodorus's was more round.

I think I've seen the Hermarchos bust referred to as Epicurus in the past, but the base clearly has Hermarchus's name and also a more rounded beard.

Hermarchus's eyes also seem more "sad" (droopy) while Epicurus seems to have a more intense gaze with his brow furrowed in the center.

Quote from Don

Hermarchus's eyes also seem more "sad" (droopy) while Epicurus seems to have a more intense gaze with his brow furrowed in the center.

Yes I can see the somewhat droopy eyes as a signature of Hermarchus, but for some reason I can't gt't a similar fix on something unique about Metrodorus.

Maybe my problem is that the sketch I posted earlier in the thread seems to not be as a close a match to the actual sculpture as is the sketch for Hermarchus and Epicurus (?)

To my eye, Metrodorus looked younger - more youthful - than either Hermarchus or Epicurus.

Quote from Godfrey

Very well done Joshua !

Very nice work. I kept imagining a David Attenborough voiceover. I can definitely envision the possibilities with this application now. Thanks, Joshua .

I guess I was aware of it but I have not focused much on the apparent fact that we have bust of Colotes.

Maybe this book page that Onenski has posted above can be worked over with image enhancement and/or adjusting software to make better copies of all of them for future use. I gather there might be one or two other busts available too? Polyaneus maybe?

We probably have not spent nearly as much time as we should fleshing out what we know about the details of each of these. We at least know their book titles to indicate their areas of interest, plus there are other anecdotes, and we know something of Colotes from Plutarch's response to him.

Now that I see more clearly that many of these guys got together and essentially invaded Athens as a team, the "team" seems to me to be more worthy of highlighting.

Which is important to observe - that the Epicurean school was not at all a one-man project, but required teamwork, just as teamwork is required today.

Quote from Don

To my eye, Metrodorus looked younger - more youthful - than either Hermarchus or Epicurus.

Which is interesting too because Metrodorus died first, if I understand the will correctly.