LATEST LUCRETIUS TODAY PODCAST: Episode 319 - "Is the Key To Happiness Found In Supernatural Causes and Geometry?" | Website Overview | Forum Navigation Map
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Cassius
February 8, 2026 at 8:03 PM Replied to the thread Media Versions of Diogenes Laertius Life of Epicurus.PostI will be working to improve the text of the text-to-speech version of Bailey being used to generate the one based on Joshua's voice.
I am going to try to learn GIT so I can keep better track of changes and more easily accept suggestions. Given the… -
Cassius
February 8, 2026 at 12:09 PM Posted the thread Media Versions of Diogenes Laertius Life of Epicurus.ThreadI'll add other links as I find them but we need a media (audio) version of the Life of Epicurus, so this will start that process.
First, I have two versions of Book 10. The first and latest is Cyril Bailey translation. This is a first draft and I am going… -
Cassius
February 8, 2026 at 12:03 PM Replied to the thread Episode 321 - The Epicurean Problems With Socrates - Not Yet Recorded.PostIn addition to the reference in Academic Questions, we have these additional citations to consider in contrasting Cicero's praise of Socrates to the Epicurean criticism of Socrates. The Epicurean criticism divides into at least two categories (1)… -
Cassius
February 8, 2026 at 12:00 PM Posted the thread Episode 321 - The Epicurean Problems With Socrates - Not Yet Recorded.ThreadWelcome to Episode 321 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… -
Kalosyni
February 8, 2026 at 9:19 AM Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.Post[…]
I think that is why it works better to say that there are multiple "goods" for an Epicurean -- friendship is a great good, but not the "highest good". And "virtue" is a good, when it leads to a pleasant life. As for "pleasures", you could choose to… -
DaveT
February 8, 2026 at 8:00 AM Replied to the thread Current Series - Summarizing Epicurean Answers to Tusculan Questions.PostCassius Agreed. I put eternal in quotes in reference to the proponents of eternal forms, etc. -
Matteng
February 8, 2026 at 6:56 AM Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.PostCassius
Yes a crucial point, I meant philia as a positive attitude in contrast to justice as avoiding negative things.
And yes, dead we avoid all pain 😅
It is more about a kind of satisfied life or agreement with one life. A life with positive value, it… -
Cassius
February 8, 2026 at 6:49 AM Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.Post[…]
In the end Epicurus is defining pleasure so broadly that in the end it's not really logically consistent to say "friendship and pleasure" given that. Friendship or anything else is either pleasurable (or leading to more pleasure than pain, even if… -
Cassius
February 8, 2026 at 6:39 AM Replied to the thread Current Series - Summarizing Epicurean Answers to Tusculan Questions.Post[…]
In my view, I would expect Epicurus to have been suspicious of anything claiming to be "eternal" by nature, since it's core physics that only the atoms have that attribute, and it appears that the gods only have it "by virtue" of their being able to… -
Matteng
February 8, 2026 at 2:32 AM Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.Post[…]
Cassius
Good point, more positively would be to pursue philia and pleasure but also the non-harming can mean to take active actions for example to help not someone who needs help und we could easily help could be seen as harming someone. Is a… -
DaveT
February 7, 2026 at 9:50 PM Replied to the thread Current Series - Summarizing Epicurean Answers to Tusculan Questions.PostI also am not well versed in ancient Greek culture. I tend to think the "eternal" Virtues of the ancient Greeks were the product of Socrates, Plato, and the other schools envisioned as eternal forms to guide public life and social structure. The focus on… -
wbernys
February 7, 2026 at 8:33 PM Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.Post[…]
I was mainly inspired by Emily Austin's advice to actually write Epicureanism in order to appreciate it. Philodemus apparently said one should wrote criticisms of oneself and wrote down Epicurean doctrine to fully appreciate the tenets of… -
Kalosyni
February 7, 2026 at 5:53 PM Replied to the thread Current Series - Summarizing Epicurean Answers to Tusculan Questions.Post[…]
I'm getting hung up on the word "virtue" and it's meaning.
Cassius it seems like instead of this sentence ending in "virtuous" it could end in the word "good" or "beneficial".
I haven't studied enough to know what all of the various ancient Greek… -
Cassius
ThreadFebruary 7, 2026 at 1:57 PM This Sunday we will continue at line 146 of Book One of Lucretius and continue into 159 to the extent we have time.
https://handbook.epicureanfriends.com/sbslucretius/#1-146
This terror then, this darkness of the mind, must needs be scattered not by the… -
Cassius
February 7, 2026 at 1:54 PM Replied to the thread Current Series - Summarizing Epicurean Answers to Tusculan Questions.Post[…]
[…]
I think those two observations are key. There's nothing magic about "virtue" or its classifications. But Epicurus was developing his philosophy in a cultural context in which certain words were used to refer to certain things, so he chose to… -
DaveT
February 7, 2026 at 1:35 PM Replied to the thread Current Series - Summarizing Epicurean Answers to Tusculan Questions.Post[…]
I googled ancient Greek Virtues and came away with those four. The search also identified Prudence as a subset of Wisdom. My personal definitions of those Greek’s Virtues? I’m not sure, but I’ll take a shot at it. Wisdom includes making choices… -
Cassius
February 7, 2026 at 12:34 PM Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.Post[…]
What? Define the goal purely negatively? If that were the case Epicurus could have stopped at "freedom from pain" without ever referring to pleasure (?) -
Kalosyni
February 7, 2026 at 9:37 AM Replied to the thread Current Series - Summarizing Epicurean Answers to Tusculan Questions.PostFor anyone who is interested in reading the Philodemus text, check out these two posts:
RE: Tsouna's On Choices and Avoidances and here:
RE: Tsouna's On Choices and Avoidances -
Kalosyni
February 7, 2026 at 9:34 AM Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.Post[…]
wbernys Thanks for sharing this here, and this is an interesting project that perhaps all Epicureans should take on -- a project in which we each define the virtues in our own words, and as Epicurean philosophy directs, as the means to which a… -
Cassius
February 7, 2026 at 4:05 AM Replied to the thread Happy Birthday General Thread.PostHappy Birthday to Auskalo! Learn more about Auskalo and say happy birthday on Auskalo's timeline: Auskalo -
Cassius
February 7, 2026 at 4:05 AM Replied to the thread Happy Birthday General Thread.PostHappy Birthday to ZarathustrasGarden! Learn more about ZarathustrasGarden and say happy birthday on ZarathustrasGarden's timeline: ZarathustrasGarden -
wbernys
February 6, 2026 at 10:25 PM Replied to the thread Current Series - Summarizing Epicurean Answers to Tusculan Questions.Post[…]
Even though Epicurus himself didn't list these virtues both Torquatus and Philodemus both mention all these virtues (Philodemus mentioning even more) as essential. Torquatus chiefly mentions the four cardinal virtues as essential and gives detailed… -
Patrikios
February 6, 2026 at 7:11 PM Replied to the thread Current Series - Summarizing Epicurean Answers to Tusculan Questions.Post -
mlinssen
February 6, 2026 at 12:05 PM Replied to the thread "You will not taste death: Jesus and Epicureanism" (Gospel of Thomas Thread).PostOne last for now, on the positive things in Thomas or his teachings.
This is my summary, in my words. Some exaggeration, a pinch of mean, as support for the notion that all this is a matter of life and death really, to Thomas
We are dualised divided… -
mlinssen
February 6, 2026 at 11:23 AM Replied to the thread "You will not taste death: Jesus and Epicureanism" (Gospel of Thomas Thread).Post[…]
When we simply go by the evidence, there are no signs of any Jesus nor Thomas at all whatsoever. Thomas could be excused of course, whereas Jesus - but let's not wander off
If you're interested in some very interesting research, I recommend Markus… -
mlinssen
February 6, 2026 at 11:15 AM Replied to the thread "You will not taste death: Jesus and Epicureanism" (Gospel of Thomas Thread).Post[…]
29. IS said if indeed the Flesh has come to be because of Spirit, a wonder is <the flesh>; if indeed Spirit However because of the Body, a wonder [of wonder] is <the Body>. Rather, I myself wonder this one: Ho[w] did [this] great richness dwell in… -
wbernys
February 6, 2026 at 10:57 AM Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.PostIt is kind of a reddit term so on second thought I'm gonna remove it. -
wbernys
February 6, 2026 at 10:45 AM Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.PostEffort post just means something like long post with effort put in.. -
mlinssen
February 6, 2026 at 10:34 AM Replied to the thread "You will not taste death: Jesus and Epicureanism" (Gospel of Thomas Thread).Post[…]
Thank you Eikadistes!
Language is a living creature, and translated texts fixated in time. They need to be renewed every now and then for sure. With regards to Thomas, what has been produced by biblical academic simply *is* wrong at points, unsupported… -
Cassius
February 6, 2026 at 7:45 AM Posted the thread Episode 320 - EATEQ 02 - Not Yet Recorded.ThreadWelcome to Episode 320 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… -
Cassius
February 6, 2026 at 7:30 AM Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.PostWbernys I haven't had the opportunity to read this in full but thank you. In the meantime however i am not quite sure what you mean by the title "[Effort Post]"? Do you mean prototype, or "Work-in-Progress," or something else? -
wbernys
February 6, 2026 at 1:33 AM Posted the thread Epicurean Virtue.ThreadI am going to upload this to reddit on the Epicureanism subreddit, but I wanted you all have this version available to you first, since i know you all will appreciate it, and secondly, it as a token of gratitude to Cassius for the bold step of… -
Martin
February 6, 2026 at 1:26 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Hania!.PostWelcome Hania! -
Cassius
PostFebruary 5, 2026 at 9:15 PM Episode 319 of the Lucretius Today Podcast is now available. This week our episode is entitled: "Is the Key To Happiness Found In Supernatural Causes and Geometry?"
[media]https://www.spreaker.com/episode/69830730/media -
DaveT
February 5, 2026 at 9:12 PM Replied to the thread "You will not taste death: Jesus and Epicureanism" (Gospel of Thomas Thread).PostMy own research on the peer reviewed research on the mythology of a historical Jesus, in addition to the questions of the accuracy of translations, I'm not even clear whether Thomas existed as a historical person.
Indeed, the line of thought that the … -
Patrikios
February 5, 2026 at 6:12 PM Replied to the thread What kinds of goals do Epicureans set for themselves?.Post[…]
Kalosyni ,
Thank you for raising this topic.
As I read the first quotation you mentioned, I am struck by the need for keen observation in order to gain accurate knowledge! This means not only looking at something in nature, but really seeing and… -
wbernys
February 5, 2026 at 4:13 PM Replied to the thread How can writing a will be justified in Epicureanism?.PostEdited. Sorry.
Here's another link if above doesn't work.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc…y2SNQN23lM_X2wl -
Cassius
February 5, 2026 at 4:05 PM Replied to the thread How can writing a will be justified in Epicureanism?.PostI presume we can find on Academia but could you possibly a link? -
wbernys
February 5, 2026 at 2:59 PM Replied to the thread How can writing a will be justified in Epicureanism?.PostAs is typical I find a good article after making a post.
If anyone else is interested in this question I found a good article by Bill Wringe called "Epicurean Wills, Empty Hopes, and the Problem of Post Mortem Concern" which responds directly to Warren… -
EdGenX
February 5, 2026 at 2:21 PM Replied to the thread Welcome MLinssen!.PostWelcome aboard Mlinssen! -
Cassius
February 5, 2026 at 11:57 AM Replied to the thread "You will not taste death: Jesus and Epicureanism" (Gospel of Thomas Thread).Post[…]
Ok so that's a big one. So there is no eternal soul?
[…]
Without being graphic, what's the general basis of this criticism. We know that Diogenes of Oinoanda is critical as well based on what appears to be general ethics, but what's the general basis… -
Eikadistes
February 5, 2026 at 11:54 AM Replied to the thread "You will not taste death: Jesus and Epicureanism" (Gospel of Thomas Thread).PostThis is an awesome contribution of material. thank you for sharing your work!
[…]
I've come to the same conclusion with regards to translations. I've found that many of our translation of classical texts come from stuffy British lords in the late… -
wbernys
February 5, 2026 at 11:49 AM Replied to the thread How can writing a will be justified in Epicureanism?.Post[…]
Agreed, I feel like a common thread to the less insightful commentators is ignoring Epicurus aim of being a moral reformer and therapist as DeWitt explains. Emily Austin also i feel understands this point of Epicurus mission. I think philosophers like… -
Cassius
February 5, 2026 at 11:34 AM Replied to the thread "You will not taste death: Jesus and Epicureanism" (Gospel of Thomas Thread).Post(ADMIN NOTE) -- I moved two new posts over into this thread. For the time being let's keep the discussion of the Gospel of Thomas here in one place where people can best follow it. There is clearly some interest in this topic, but it's hard to assess… -
Cassius
PostFebruary 5, 2026 at 11:14 AM As we introduce Academic Questions in this episode, of particular note is Joshua's extended discussion of a "house of mirrors" analogy in characterizing the meaning of Plato's cave and associated non-Epicurean philosophies. The episode will be out by… -
Cassius
February 5, 2026 at 10:23 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Hania!.PostAgain Hania welcome aboard and let us know how we can be of help. There's literally lifetimes worth of material that are relevant and worth reading, and most of us take many years before things start to come together into a coherent whole. We're happy… -
mlinssen
February 5, 2026 at 10:05 AM Replied to the thread "You will not taste death: Jesus and Epicureanism" (Gospel of Thomas Thread).PostEpicurus, and Thomas
I am going to start a new post on this, in order to try and keep it manageable
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I will be going through Thomas up until 19, tasting death/mother, and try to summarise it in as few words as possible, including all logia in… -
hania
February 5, 2026 at 9:03 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Hania!.PostThank you Cassius and hello everyone!
As stated in my message I am an aspiring young researcher. So far my main field of interest was ancient hedonism - so Aristippus and his school and of course Epicurus later. The main focus of my studies is then… -
Cassius
February 5, 2026 at 7:50 AM Replied to the thread How can writing a will be justified in Epicureanism?.PostI agree with your concern Wbernys. I strongly object to Cicero's analysis and my objection applies to Warren too. Getting rid of the fear of our own state in "being dead" is the issue I think Epicurus is addressing. There are many other aspects of issues… -
wbernys
February 5, 2026 at 4:28 AM Posted the thread How can writing a will be justified in Epicureanism?.Thread
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