LATEST LUCRETIUS TODAY PODCAST: Episode 325 - "The False Platonic Division of The Universe Into A Force Which Causes And That Which Is Acted Upon" | Website Overview | Forum Navigation Map
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Joshua
March 23, 2026 at 8:27 PM Replied to the thread Episode 326 - EATAQ 08 - Not Yet Recorded.Post -
Kalosyni
March 23, 2026 at 7:57 PM Posted the thread Causes of Happiness.Thread -
Eikadistes
March 22, 2026 at 1:47 PM Replied to a comment by Don on the image Postcard of Epigram 27.Reply (Image/Video)Great find! In that context, those food items would have been much more synonymous with luxury to the average ear. I wonder if there might be an analogy to something like lobster, once-despised, now-prized? -
Joshua
March 22, 2026 at 1:39 PM Replied to the thread Sunday March 22, 2026 - Zoom Meeting - Lucretius Book Review - Starting Book One Line 265.Post[…] -
Don
March 22, 2026 at 12:59 PM Commented on the image Postcard of Epigram 27.Comment (Image/Video)At least according to the Edict of Maximum Prices from Diocletian, sow's udder and uterus were two of the most expensive meats in the later Empire:
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/23644199
20 and 24 denarius comm. respectively, as opposed to 8 for… -
Martin
March 22, 2026 at 9:57 AM Replied to the thread Epicurus vs Kant and Modern Idealism - Introduction.Post[…]
Kant himself does take these positions. However, later Kantians may differ. I am an Epicurean, not a Kantian. My reference to being "Kantian" is limited to him as being named as the original source of the distinction between a model and truth. He used… -
Cassius
PostMarch 22, 2026 at 6:29 AM […]
Robert much of the difficulty comes from the loss of the first part of the book, meaning that what we have left starts in the middle and appears to be stating non-Epicurean views. Rather than presenting his own opinions Philodemus is giving a survey… -
Cassius
March 22, 2026 at 6:09 AM Replied to the thread Epicurus vs Kant and Modern Idealism - Introduction.PostThank you Martin. It will be helpful for us to dig further into Kant and clarify why he is such a lightning-rod for dispute. This should prove to be a very useful thread.
So just so I am clear - because you've apparently read a lot more Kant than I have:
… -
Martin
March 22, 2026 at 2:56 AM Replied to the thread Epicurus vs Kant and Modern Idealism - Introduction.PostThe rejection of both plain rationalism and plain empiricism is an overlap between Epicurus and Kant.
Kant replaced them with a unified epistemology drawing from parts of both of them. Based on his new approach to epistemology, scientists usually present… -
Robert
PostMarch 21, 2026 at 10:10 PM […]
Hmm--did it have something to do with detecting celestial objects, as in the indirect detection of Neptune by observing anomalies in the orbit of Uranus? I remember mentioning this for some reason.
Very interested to see how Philodemus approaches the… -
Cassius
March 21, 2026 at 8:22 PM Replied to the thread Welcome M Dango.PostM.Dango tells us -
[…] -
Cassius
March 21, 2026 at 8:22 PM Posted the thread Welcome M Dango.ThreadWelcome m.dango !
There is one last step to complete your registration:
All new registrants must post a response to this message here in this welcome thread (we do this in order to minimize spam registrations).
You must post your response within 24… -
EdGenX
March 21, 2026 at 5:54 PM Replied to the thread Welcome ThomasJ54!.PostWelcome ThomasJ54! -
Cassius
ThreadMarch 21, 2026 at 5:35 PM I decided it would be interesting to do some research on what famous modern philosopher might be closest to Epicurus in core philosophic views. I generated a draft of the following using AI and then edited the entire document in way that I understand… -
Joshua
March 21, 2026 at 2:18 PM Commented on the image Postcard of Epigram 27.Comment (Image/Video)When I was working in Florida I had a colleague from Texas who was getting married, and his extended family was traveling from there for the occasion. He was quite excited, because they were bringing him a delicacy that he remembered from his youth;… -
Cassius
ThreadMarch 21, 2026 at 1:31 PM These week we will continue around section 1:265 of Lucretius and explore further the implications of the invisibility of atoms and how we can have confidence in something that is not visible.
https://handbook.epicureanfriends.com/sbslucretius/#1-265 -
Cassius
March 21, 2026 at 1:26 PM Posted the thread Episode 326 - EATAQ 08 - Not Yet Recorded.ThreadWelcome to Episode 326 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… -
Eikadistes
March 21, 2026 at 12:10 PM Commented on the image Postcard of Epigram 27.Comment (Image/Video)I went down a rabbit hole on the udders.
I'm not convinced that Philódēmos wasn't telling his old friend, "Bro, if you can manage to drag yourself away from the big tits and booze at your bourgeoisie parties...". I think it might have a double-meaning.… -
Julia
March 21, 2026 at 4:37 AM Commented on the image Postcard of Epigram 27.Comment (Image/Video) -
Eikadistes
March 20, 2026 at 10:46 PM Uploaded the image Postcard of Epigram 27.Image/Video
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Cassius
PostMarch 20, 2026 at 6:46 PM Episode 325 of the Lucretius Today Podcast is now available. This week our episode is entitled: "The False Platonic Division Of The Universe Into A Force Which Causes And That Which Is Acted Upon."
[media]https://www.spreaker.com/episode/70787883/media -
Cassius
PostMarch 20, 2026 at 4:37 PM This podcast will be released either tonight or first thing in the morning.
One comment while editing is that as we go forward we'll try to focus in on what is meant by "efficient cause" in this text. The word cause tends to get lots of modifiers on it in… -
Don
March 20, 2026 at 1:55 PM Replied to the thread Seikilos Poem - Discussion.PostHere's Luke Rainieri singing the epitaph in four historical pronunciations:
youtu.be/AL9KQ-trY00?si=JU9AgdZEDyzlsqm3
One of the things I find fascinating about the epitaph is that the musical notation is intact. Not notes per se, but the tune is… -
Kalosyni
March 20, 2026 at 8:52 AM Posted the thread Happy Twentieth of March 2026!.Thread
Happy Twentieth Everyone!
and
Happy Vernal Equinox! -
Cassius
March 19, 2026 at 11:43 AM Posted the thread Good and Bad Desire and Doubt In Epicurean Philosophy.ThreadIntroduction
A correct understanding of Epicurus' views as to desire and doubt is essential to grasping his philosophy as a whole. These should be considered together because it is thought by some that Epicurus held all doubt and all desire to be… -
Eikadistes
March 19, 2026 at 9:50 AM Replied to the thread So You Want To Learn Ancient Greek Or Latin?.Post -
Eikadistes
March 19, 2026 at 9:48 AM Replied to the thread So You Want To Learn Ancient Greek Or Latin?.PostI don't know who needs to know this, but:
Leía means "booty" in ancient Greek.
May the Force be with you. -
Cassius
March 19, 2026 at 9:02 AM Replied to the thread Epicurus vs Kant and Modern Idealism - Introduction.PostThis thread and its timing was prompted in part by the following post which I saw recently on Twitter/X. I am not posting to approve or disapprove of the writer of the post or the person whose death is being referenced - Ari Larijani, an Iranian military… -
Cassius
March 19, 2026 at 8:45 AM Posted the thread Epicurus vs Kant and Modern Idealism - Introduction.ThreadIntroductory Note
This post is intended to provide an introduction to the issues that exist between Epicurus and modern idealism. For ease of reference it also incorporates discussion of Nietzsche's analysis of Kant, which has substantial similarities to… -
Cassius
March 18, 2026 at 9:33 PM Replied to the thread Welcome ThomasJ54!.PostWelcome ThomasJ54! That's a path with which many of us can identify! Glad to have you and let us know if we can be of help in your study. -
Cassius
March 18, 2026 at 9:32 PM Replied to the thread Welcome ThomasJ54!.Postthomasj54 tells us:
HelloI
I'm a 72 year old retired IT professional in Essex England. I've have an intermittent interest in philosophy and religion most of my life. Raised a Catholic I rejected this in my late teens and became agnostic/atheist. I… -
Cassius
March 18, 2026 at 9:31 PM Posted the thread Welcome ThomasJ54!.ThreadWelcome thomasj54
There is one last step to complete your registration:
All new registrants must post a response to this message here in this welcome thread (we do this in order to minimize spam registrations).
You must post your response within 24… -
Eikadistes
March 18, 2026 at 12:28 PM Replied to the thread Seikilos Poem - Discussion.PostAnd not like anyone asked but I'd be remiss if I didn't take a swing at my own translation:While you live, glow!
Suffer you never a sorrow!
For fleeting it is to withstand
the ending that time must demand. -
Eikadistes
March 18, 2026 at 12:27 PM Replied to the thread Seikilos Poem - Discussion.PostAnd for the sake of a visual aid, here's this.
Usually, scholars rearrange the original lines to reinforce the rhyme scheme to students (AABB). Rarely is the lyrical poem analyzed according to the line breaks the poet originally chose.
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Eikadistes
March 18, 2026 at 12:22 PM Replied to the thread Seikilos Poem - Discussion.PostJust to re-iterate what I posted with the picture, I'm re-posting the text.
In a nutshell, my thesis is that most scholars (at least whom I've read in English) have overlooked two mid-word line breaks in the original inscription that I believe were… -
Eikadistes
March 18, 2026 at 12:20 PM Replied to the thread Seikilos Poem - Discussion.Post[…]
That's a great stanza, and awesomely similar to the epitaph, very cool!
You know, I first came across it when I took a Humanities class 20 years ago, and the Greek transcription became my first tattoo a few years later, many years before I took up a… -
Cassius
PostMarch 18, 2026 at 9:05 AM […]
That's his On Signs / On Methods of Inference which we will review on the podcast in the future. Anyone who tries to get started before then and can post commentary will be appreciated. -
TauPhi
March 17, 2026 at 9:38 PM Replied to the thread Seikilos Poem - Discussion.PostThis is cool. I didn't know about its existence. Thank you Eikadistes . It reminds me of something I wrote to myself some time ago. I rarely share my personal scribblings with anyone but I'll make an exception on this occasion:
Radiate, pulsate and be… -
Kalosyni
March 17, 2026 at 5:49 PM Commented on the image Seikilos Poem.Comment (Image/Video)The song is featured in the opening of this play, with the last line subtitle translation as "and Time demands his due"
youtu.be/Zw9QoJXIiXg -
Cassius
March 17, 2026 at 2:36 PM Replied to a comment by Eikadistes on the image Seikilos Poem.Reply (Image/Video)Very interesting Eikadistes and thank you.
I want to be sure that your comments and future discussion are findable so I am setting up this forum thread, which is easier to find using the search function:
Seikilos Poem - Discussion -
Cassius
March 17, 2026 at 2:35 PM Replied to the thread Seikilos Poem - Discussion.Post -
Cassius
March 17, 2026 at 2:34 PM Posted the thread Seikilos Poem - Discussion.Thread -
Eikadistes
March 17, 2026 at 2:03 PM Commented on the image Seikilos Poem.Comment (Image/Video)I just found something really interesting that I wanted to bring up! I include the following in footnotes here. In a nutshell, I find that it is reasonable to suppose that (1) Seikílos was a seasoned composer, and (2) He was a proper Epicurean.
… -
Cassius
March 17, 2026 at 1:46 PM Replied to the thread Circumstantial (Indirect) and Direct Evidence / Dogmatism vs Skepticism.PostRight - the burden of proof issue is certainly relevant to standards of proof so let's discuss that too.
In these philosophic questions does the burden of proof rest on the person asserting something that is contrary to observable evidence? Or on the… -
DaveT
March 17, 2026 at 12:36 PM Replied to the thread Circumstantial (Indirect) and Direct Evidence / Dogmatism vs Skepticism.Post[…]
Perhaps you might also have discussed that in Civil Law cases where “probably” is acceptable.
In criminal cases, people go to prison. Generally, in civil cases which are far more common, you don't go to prison.
And I am suggesting this clarification… -
Kalosyni
PostMarch 17, 2026 at 12:23 PM These two Wikipedia entries seems relevant for this section of Lucretius:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causal_reasoning
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inference
Robert You made an interesting comment in last Sunday's meeting regarding inference, and if I… -
Don
March 16, 2026 at 11:05 PM Replied to the thread Circumstantial (Indirect) and Direct Evidence / Dogmatism vs Skepticism.Post -
Bryan
March 15, 2026 at 4:27 PM Commented on the image Keeping it Fun - Epicurus vs His Philosophical Opponents.Comment (Image/Video)Somewhat related is the fact that "Chorus" is used in Greek for a group in general, so we do have talk of the "The chorus/group of Epicureans (ὁ χορὸς τῶν Ἐπικουρείων)" [Dionysius of Halicarnassus (fl. 20 BCE), On the Composition of Words, 24] --… -
Kalosyni
March 15, 2026 at 2:32 PM Posted the thread Self-Reflection to increase happiness and reduce pain.ThreadHere is a list of areas to reflect upon, for those who feel a need to increase happiness. This list can help guide your reflections, enabling you to identify specific areas that may be causing issues or need adjustment, and you can take your time with… -
Joshua
PostMarch 15, 2026 at 1:42 PM […]
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