Posts by Bryan

"The limit in the amount of pleasures

is the Removal of all pain.

Whenever there is Pleasure,

then for that time that it is present,

there is no Pain or Sadness

or any Mixture of both."

Metródoros makes the same point from a different angle:

"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"

–preserved by Plutarch at 1091 A-B in his diatribe "Ότι ουδέ ήδεως ζην έστιν κατ' Επίκουρον"

"What is complete and independent neither itself has troubles nor hands any over to another, therefore it is not wrapped up in tempers or favors- because everything of that sort exists in what is imperfect."

Regarding weakness/imperfection, Philodemus directly connects human weakness with our need for friendship. While discussing the importance of mutual friendship (ἡ συμφυλία) he says that generosity is necessary:

"...ἀμέλει δὲ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν τῶν ἀσθενῶν

καὶ προσδεομένων πρὸς τὰ χρειώδη τῆς φιλίας"

"...particularly for us who are imperfect/weak and

and in need also of the necessary things that come from friendship"

De Dis (Book 3), PHerc 26.fr.87 second paragraph, beginning half way through line 5 (http://163.1.169.40/gsdl/collect/P….a.01.hires.jpg)

Thank you, Elli, for your kind greeting! I have benefited greatly from your wise comments in the past, and I am happy to be here and to begin doing so again.

Cassius this is a very nice website! Brilliant content, easy to navigate, and it is wonderful to see the organization that you have achieved here so effectively on the message boards.

Rearranging and organizing Diogenes' comments is a good idea. The translation you have is excellent and follows my own preference for simplicity where it is possible.

Here are some personal notes I have on the Principle Doctrines along with some new translations.