Memorial Calendar of Leading Epicureans

Table of Contents

  • For purposes of inclusion in our regular 20th meetings, the following is a list of prominent Epicureans with notations of their accomplishments. Each month - in addition to Epicurus and Metrodorus - we can remember two others so that each year we rotate through the complete list. The goal for each month would be:

    1. To memorialize Epicurus and Metrodorus every month as per the directions in Epicurus' will.
    2. To memorialize two other prominent Epicureans from a list of 24 names that everyone ought to know.
    3. To memorialize one from a list of "lesser-known" Epicureans about whom we may not know much but which we know enough to make for an interesting mention.

    To prepare this we can use Nate's list of "Epicurean Philosophers."


    Full discussion thread for this project.

    1. MEMORIAL CALENDAR OF LEADING EPICUREANS


    Month Primary MONTHLY Honoree Special Mention (Changes Yearly)
    JAN Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Hermarchus
    Polyaenus
    FEB Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Polystratus
    Dionysius of Lamptrai
    MAR Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Zeno of Sidon
    Colotes of Lampsacus
    APRIL Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Philodenes of Lampsacus
    Leontion
    MAY Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Antiochus IV Epiphanes
    Diogenes of Oenoanda
    JUNE Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Lucian of Samosata
    Lucius Manlius Torquatus    		 2023 - Basilides of Tyrus [1]
    JULY Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Titus Pomponius Atticus
    Siro of Naples    		 2023 - Protarchys of Barghilia [2]
    AUG Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Lucius Calpurnius Piso
    Philodemus of Gadara
    SEP Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Gaius Cassius Longinus
    Quintus Horatius Flaccus
    OCT Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Titus Lucretius Carus
    Rabirius and Catius Insuber
    NOV Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Gaius Velleius
    Demetrius Lacon
    DEC Epicurus
    Metrodorus    		 Empress Pompeia Plotina
    Leonteus and Themistaof Lampsacus


    2. SYLLABUS OF NAMES AND REFERENCES


    1. Basilides of Tyrus - Scholarch (4th): (c. 245 – 175 BCE) from 205 to 175 BCE Basilides (or Basileides, Greek: Βασιλείδης; c. 250-c. 175 BC) was an Epicurean philosopher, who succeeded Dionysius of Lamptrai as the head of the Epicurean school at Athens c. 205 BC. It is not certain who succeeded Basilides: Apollodorus is the next Epicurean leader we can be certain about, but there may have been at least one intermediate leader, and the name Thespis has been suggested. PeoplePill
    2. Protarchys of Barghilia - Scholarch (5th): (c. 225 – 150 BCE) from 175 to 150 BCE
    3. Apollodorus of Athens - Scholarch (6th): (c. 200 – 125 BCE) from 147 to 125 BCE Wikipedia
    4. Phaedrus - Scholarch (8th): (c. 138 – 70/69 BCE) Scholarch from 75 to 70/69 BCE
    5. Patro - Scholarch (9th): (c. 100 – 25 BCE) Scholarch from 70/69 to 51 BCE
    6. Popillius Theotimus - Scholarch (16ish): (early 2nd-century CE)
    7. Heliodorus - Scholarch (17ish): (2nd-century CE) Hadrian writes him.



    3. NOMINATIONS TO INCORPORATE

    • Phaedrus - 8th scholarch, and known to Cicero and Atticus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaedrus_the_Epicurean "Cicero wrote to Atticus requesting Phaedrus' essay On gods (Greek: Περὶ θεῶν). Cicero used this work to aid his composition of the first book of the De Natura Deorum. Not only did he develop his account of Epicurean doctrine using it, but also the account of the doctrines of earlier philosophers."
    • Patro (scholarch of the Garden): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patro_the_Epicurean Wrote to Cicero, asking that he intercede on behalf of saving Epicurus's house
    • The unnamed Epicureans mentioned in Acts 17:18-34 who stood up to Paul:
      • A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.”... When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”
        • I could see the Epicureans "sneering" about the resurrection of the dead!
    • Palladas of Alexandria - epigrammatist and Epicurean (in the tradition of Philodemus??) (academic thesis: Death, Delight, and Destitution: What Sort of Epicurean was Palladas of Alexandria? Nikpour, Rodmanned Arya (Author). Within the vast array of classical literature, many authors still have not been thoroughly examined. Among these, Palladas of Alexandria, a prominent epigrammatist in the Palatine Anthology, seems to import Epicurean themes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palladas Could be jury still out on whether he was actually Epicurean... but if he was he was very late... one of the last holdouts!


    4. NOTES OF POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTIONS


    1 - Virtually nothing is known of [6] Dionysius of Lamptrai.

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