Posts by Bryan

Thanks be to blessed Nature because she has made what is necessary easy to supply, and what is not easy, unnecessary. (Ioannes Stobaeus Anthology, XVII.23)

We cannot say that the good which has rounded out a happy life, the good for which Epicurus rendered thanks in the last words he uttered, is not equal to the greatest. (Seneca, Letters to Lucilius, 66.47)

But what epithet do they deserve – with your "roars" of ecstasy and "cries of thanksgiving" and tumultuous "bursts of applause" and "reverential demonstrations," and the whole apparatus of adoration that you all resort to in supplicating and hymning the man who summons you to sustained and frequent pleasures? (Plutarch, Against Colotes, 1117A)

[Epicurus] writes this to his friends about himself: "The way in which you have provided for me in the matter of sending the grain was godlike and magnificent, and you have given tokens of your regard form me that reach to high heaven." So if someone had taken that corn ration of his bread-stuff from our philosopher’s letter, the expressions of gratitude would have conveyed the impression that it was written in thanksgiving for the freedom or deliverance of the whole Greek nation or of the Athenian state. (Plutarch, Contra Epicuri Beatitudinem, 1097C)

Here is a version of PHerc 1055, which is attributed to our Demetrius. (Possibly for the first time in English. Comments and critiques are welcome. Greek is in the attachment.)

11. Clearly, men preserve the memories of what has been impressed in childhood. Because the soul remains, extending throughout the body, it grows entirely during childhood...

12. It is possible to preserve some of the bodies, and it is evident that memories are also preserved due to these previously imparted motions to the generative faculties of the mind...

13. He says that memories are preserved (in general, as much authority as we have over these matters to speak) although the material that forms the intellect is completely transformed.

14. Because of this, [the mind] possesses a direct reception of similar things, and when these are examined closely, they are not difficult to restore, and by such restorations, we leave god in a human form - because clearly we connect [the form of a human] to a god.

15. Since we do not find reason in any other form apart from a human form, it is evident that we should leave a god in an anthropomorphic form so that, even with reason, he may have substance (so that he has a real existence along with the rational faculty). Therefore, we say that [a god] is anthropomorphic...

16. He [Bion] does not grasp our point even when he leads to it. For they say that if god is anthropomorphic because it has reasoning and shared vitality, we associate with god many other common properties of forms, such as hands, fingers...

17. ...[god] has a similar soul [to man]. Therefore, it is not necessary that if any animals have such a form that a god also has that form. But it will have the faculty of reasoning and, in addition to these common properties, it will also have many other properties in the highest degree...

18. "If indeed,” he [Bion] says, “it has a human form, it is clear that it will have eyes, so it will also suffer from ophthalmia, and it will be affected similarly by the remaining senses." But this itself is similar to nonsense.

19. Therefore, it is completely convincing – as it comes from Bion, who first according to Theophrastus adorned philosophy with flowers – but what he left is unadorned due to his ignorance of the nature of things. This is, in fact, the argument: “we say that each species of living being has its own form in its own species…”

20. We say that “god is not the universe nor tireless sun or the full moon” but it is not possible to say this to a Stoic or a Peripatetic! For how does that which is spherical have its own form? Otherwise, those saying that [god is spherical] do not see that because it is proper for the nature of things…

21. Greater density and lesser density areas differ to the extent that the [greater density] is composed of more atoms, the [lesser density] of fewer atoms. As a consequence of this, that which is denser and capable of generating sensation, produces it – and conversely, that which is less dense and does not produce sensation, cannot set it into motion.

22. We should not exclude the things excluded from sight – because nothing perceptible is immortal. The density (of visible things) opposes this, receiving strong blows. And again, nothing translucent (διαφανές) is perceptible [ie visible by the 5 senses]. Since that which produces large counterforces with great weight for what is perceptible...

23. Of the things said in this way about Bion’s thinking, I will establish this: Since every kind of living being has its own form within its own genus, but not in every way at once – so this same thing that happens in what is visible also happens in what is observable by reasoning.

24. Given that visible things harmonize with what is observable by reasoning, as we demonstrated previously, when what is visible does not oppose [what is observable by reasoning], this is also easily understood – and those things which were then discussed are circulated. Regarding these questions, dear Kointos, I have thoroughly applied myself…

25. But we say that the form of a god is not like what other philosophers attribute. Certainly, they would have seen that [a god] has shapes that are not spherical nor has judgments or angry dispositions or pettiness, but forms that stand apart in the sublime and dispositions rejecting everything lower – all directed towards its own bliss (μακαριότητα) and imperishability (ἀφθαρσίαν).

Metrodorus is quoted by Plutarch "It is not necessary to save the Greeks or to get crowns for wisdom from them -- but to eat and to drink wine, O Timocrates, without harming the stomach and cheerfully."

Oὐδὲν δεῖ σῴζειν τοὺς Ἕλληνας οὐδ᾽ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ στεφάνων παρ αὐτῶν τυγχάνειν -- ἀλλ᾽ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν οἶνον, ὦ Τιμόκρατες, ἀβλαβῶς’ τῇ γαστρὶ καὶ κεχαρισμένως (Plutarch Non Posse 1098c-d)

That is so well said Cassius! THANK YOU!

I am loving these more every day. They look even better printed. Thank you so much!

An easy, relaxing and beneficial meditation (focusing the mind, ἡ ἐπιβολή τῆς διανοίας) is to listen to Lucretius on an audiobook with reduced speed and picture everything as though it is a movie.

I am unable to engage in any secondary activity while doing this. If my mind wanders away from producing the movie at any point I just rewind the audiobook a minute and pick the movie back up.

I heartily thank you, Nate, and your wife - these are the best life-like versions of the group I have ever seen.

Also relevant is Vatican Saying 42, recently shared by Onenski.

Ὁ αὐτὸς χρόνος καὶ γενέσεως τοῦ μεγίστου ἀγαθοῦ καὶ ἀπολύσεως <τοῦ κακοῦ>.

The same moment has both the origin of the greatest good and the release from evil.

"The production of the greatest good and (the) release from evil (happens at) [the same time]." [Epicurus Wiki]

"The same time corresponds to the birth of the greatest good and the dissolution of evil." (Enrique Alvarez trans.)

Quote from Cassius

Is the implication that like two atoms, where only one atom can be in a place at a time, you have to move pain out of the way for pleasure to occupy the same spot?

Yes, as we have seen, the Cyrenaics viewed the removal of pain as a state of calm to which pleasure could then be added. Plato argued for the existence of mixed pleasures (μικταί ἡδοναί), which he imagined as pleasures which contained an aspect of pain.

In reality, at any particular time, pain and pleasure are mutually exclusive at any particular point in the body.

KD 3 …whenever there is Pleasure,

then for that time that it is present,

there is no Pain or Sadness

or any Mixture of both.

Physical contentment is achieved frequently and naturally by the internal process in our bodies when we have the necessary accommodations of food, shelter, and security.

Mental contentment is achieved just as naturally and frequently, by realizing the ease of obtaining physical contentment and fostering gratitude for our success in doing so.

Failing to appreciate this fact, most people, even when in a painless state, often try to add to their pleasure – from here most perils of their lives arise.

Metrodorus is quoted by Plutarch as "Τhis very thing is the good: Escaping from the bad -- because It is not possible for the Good to be placed anywhere, when neither What is painful nor What is distressing is any longer making way for it.

Τοῦτο αὐτὸ τὸ ἀγαθόν ἐστι: τὸ φυγεῖν τὸ κακόν -- ἔνθα γὰρ τεθήσεται Tἀγαθόν οὐκ Ἔστιν, ὅταν μηθὲν ἔτι ὑπεξίῃ μήτε Ἀλγεινὸν μήτε Λυπηρόν. (Plutarch Non posse, 1091 A-B)"

Quote from Bryan

Yes they were finding those elephant bones in antiquity as well. The large space in the center of an elephant's skull where the trunk attaches was figured to be the place for a single large eye of the cyclops.

I cannot find the evidence I thought I had for this statement! Perhaps it is a speculation.

Yes they were finding those elephant bones in antiquity as well. The large space in the center of an elephant's skull where the trunk attaches was figured to be the place for a single large eye of the cyclops.

Here is a slightly reformatted version of De Lacy's work. Counter arguments are in red, Epicurean arguments (mostly from Zeno of Sidon and Demetrius of Laconia) in black, with explanatory section titles. Not complete and still has some typos.

Great Idea, a lot of podcasts seem to gain popularity there.

Quote from HsiehKW

I wonder if any of us here have a sort of close community of Epicurean friends nearby, how that helps, and any tips on how you go about it if you are without such.

This would be a real outlier!

Hunger is the best spice "cibi condimentum esse famem" as Cicero, in one of his Epicurus roasts (De Finibus II.xxviii) attributes to Socrates. So the idea/statement would have been common/passé in Epicurus' time. The idea seems to be expressed in many cultures at many times in history.

I think this is an important topic. Epicurus valued autonomy and self-sufficiency. It seems to me that having money will provide neither when something really goes wrong with the country/currency.

This is fun! Without much prompting and only giving three different images of Metrodorus.... my first pass is not very good -- but I can see this having potential once I learn what I am doing!

Don I agree with you fully but then I also question myself. Rendering ὁ θaνατοc as anything other than "death" does seem to be a stretch - but death does exit. The afterlife does not. It may be worth bending the English a bit?

Same problem in Latin:

nīl igitur Mors est ad nos neque pertinet hīlum

in no way does Death exist to us and does not concern at all

Lucretius · De Rerum Natura III 830

But death does exit. So it cannot be correct to translate Lucretius in such a way. It is the afterlife, I would think, that is the topic. The afterlife does not exit.

Another point that KΔ1 is not just a reference to the gods, is X 77, οὐ γὰρ συμφωνοῦσιν Πραγματεῖαι καὶ Φροντίδες καὶ Ὀργαὶ καὶ Xάριτες μακαριότητι ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ καὶ φόβῳ καὶ προσδεήσει τῶν πλησίον Tαῦτα γίγνεταἰ - for Troubles and Anxieties and Tempers and Favors are not consistent with contentment but All come from weakness and fear and dependence on those near by."