Episode 264 - "Bread and Water!!?? Debunking The Myth of Epicurean Asceticism"

    Welcome to Episode 264 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world.

    Each week we walk you through the Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where we discuss this and all of our podcast episodes.

    This week we have a special episode in which our podcaster co-host Don will give a talk entitled "Bread and Water - Debunking the Myth of Epicurean Asceticism." This talk was given on January 19, 2025, as part of our first EpicureanFriends Livestream. We'll link the slideshow presentation in the show notes to this episode, but you can view it anytime at EpicureanFriends.com by clicking on the "Featured Videos" link at the top of our website.

    At the same location we also have a link to Don's video on "Where Was the Garden of Epicurus? Isolated, or Near the Center of Things?" In that talk, just as in this new Bread and Water talk, Don debunks myths that have grown up around Epicurean philosophy, mistakenly labeling the ancient Epicureans as isolationist and ascetic. Don does great work and we're proud to have him as a part of our podcast family.

    Next week we'll be back with a regular Lucretius Today episode. Until then, enjoy Don on the topic "Bread and Water? Debunking the Myth of Epicurean Asceticism"


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  • Cassius January 22, 2025 at 2:22 PM

    Changed the title of the thread from “Episode 264 - "Applying Epicurus Accurately"” to “Episode 264 - "Bread and Water!!?? Debunking The Myth of Epicurean Asceticism"”.

    We're about to release this special episode of Lucretius Today, with Don's talk on the myth of Epicurean asceticism. I'm pleased with this format and think you'll enjoy it. It works well to have a shorter format on a single topic, and we'll do more of these in the future. These are a good complement to our longer-format shows on key doctrines of Epicurus that we are in the process of preparing now.

    And after this episode Don may be forever-after known as "The Great Debunker!"

    I know I said desires come in 4 categories and only mentioned 3. Mea culpa.

    In my defense, I was thinking of this from the letter to Menoikeus (and yes I'm splitting this idiosyncratically):

    • Furthermore, on the one hand, there are
      • the natural desires;
      • on the other, the 'empty, fruitless, or vain ones.'
      • And of the natural ones, on the one hand, are
        • the necessary ones;
        • on the other, the ones which are only natural; then,
        • of the necessary ones:
          • on the one hand, those necessary for eudaimonia;
          • then, those necessary for the freedom from disturbance for the body;
          • then those necessary for life itself.

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