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[Edit: Originally posted as "Six-Part" Cure, consolidated to five for reasons stated in post 16 below.] My issues with the tetrapharmokon have been frequently stated. What would I suggest is a much better summary that is better documented in the texts? Instead of the "four-part cure" I think we can look to a much better-stated "Six-part cure" as stated by Torquatus in "On Ends" (which means it was taken from the best handbooks available in about 50 BC by Cicero, who also had access to the best E…

As usual there is lots of room for varying the wording of the translation from the Latin:

If we wanted to stick to four, that's easily done as well: Set as your goal that of living in the continuous enjoyment of numerous and vivid pleasures alike of body and of mind, undisturbed either by the presence or by the prospect of painWork to possess a strength of mind that is proof against all fear of death or of pain by understanding that death means complete unconsciousness, and pain is generally light if long and short if strong, so that its intensity is compensated by brief duration and…

Thinking back to Don's "strength of mind" emphasis, here's back to Six - Set as your goal that of living in the continuous enjoyment of numerous and vivid pleasures alike of body and of mind, undisturbed either by the presence or by the prospect of painWork to possess a strength of mind that is proof against (resistant to?) all fear,Work to understand that death means complete unconsciousness, Work to understand that pain is generally light if long and short if strong, so that its intensity is c…

Again thinking that "strength of mind" is worth emphasizing for its own role as the means to the goal (which is indeed how I would see "tranquility," as a part of the means to to the goal of Pleasure, and not the goal in itself): Set as your goal that of living in the continuous enjoyment of numerous and vivid pleasures alike of body and of mind, undisturbed either by the presence or by the prospect of painWork to possess strength of mind,Work to understand that death means complete unconsciousn…

It looks to me like "Firmitatem animi" is a key phrase:

(Quote from waterholic) Agreed that it sounds Stoic to me too, but this might be an overreaction on our part. Just because the Stoics may say the sun rises in the east that doesn't make it false

Yes firmitatem is an interesting word choice -- not "strength" of mind in the sense of "virtus" but the words Don suggests, indicating steadfastness, stability, constancy. Words that very much play into our analogies to bodies of water, except that the point clearly would seem to me to imply "undivertable motion toward a goal" like the powerful Mississippi River flowing downstream, rather than just a small current in a tiny stream which is easy for beavers to divert. (How's that for mixing metap…

So a better choice of words for 2 (firmness might work too, but steadfastness works): Set as your goal that of living in the continuous enjoyment of numerous and vivid pleasures alike of body and of mind, undisturbed either by the presence or by the prospect of painWork to possess steadfastness of mind,Work to understand that death means complete unconsciousness,Work to understand that pain is generally light if long and short if strong, so that its intensity is compensated by brief duration and…

To me, a drive for clarity (or to banish improper connotations) is an embodiment of VS46 - VS46. Let us utterly drive from us our bad habits, as if they were evil men who have long done us great harm. Improper inferences from words like "tranquility" (and of "easy" in 3 and 4 of the T) have long done us great harm! So we don't need to jettison them completely, just be clear in our use of them. I don't think I use the word "precision" twice in a year, but I see that Dewitt uses the word at least …

Here is the latin from the LatinLibrary.com: (Quote) This may be our most plain and simple detailed statement of the most desirable life left from the ancient Epicurean writings: Constituamus aliquem magnis, multis, perpetuis fruentem et animo et corpore voluptatibus nullo dolore nec impediente nec inpendente,

When we reviewed this material in the podcast, we chose the REID translation because it seemed more literal than Rackham. Here is Reid's version of this same passage: [40] XII. Again, the truth that pleasure is the supreme good can be most easily apprehended from the following consideration. Let us imagine an individual in the enjoyment of pleasures great, numerous and constant, both mental and bodily, with no pain to thwart or threaten them; I ask what circumstances can we describe as more exce…

Varying translation choices between Rackham and Reid: RackhamReidThe truth of the position that pleasure is the ultimate good will most readily appear from the following illustration. Let us imagine a man living in the continuous enjoyment of numerous and vivid pleasures alike of body and of mind, undisturbed either by the presence or by the prospect of pain: what possible state of existence could we describe as being more excellent or more desirable? One so situated must possess in the first pl…

I am afraid that listing the "being steadfast" part as a separate item just is not really supported by the Latin. Especially when looking at the Reid translation, seems to me that there are really only five major things going on. This version follows Reid most literally: Set as your goal to live among pleasures great, numerous and constant, both mental and bodily, with no pain to thwart or threaten them, while at the same time:Be confident that death is apart from sensation,Be confident that pai…

Very good point. Reid has it that way, so the Latin may support it, i was about to go further and say it's so far off as to be unusable, but really as I think twice this may actually be accurate. Maybe this is affirming what is apparently the true Epicurean position, analogous to reverencing the wise man, that we benefit from reverencing even though the wise man man may not be directing his activities toward us at all. There's a passage in Lucretius about not being able to approach the temples o…

Here's the text from Lucretius 6 (Which i remember in Humphries form): And so they wander, borne along in blind Unreason. Spit out all such stuff, I tell you, Stop having thoughts unworthy of the gods, Alien to their serenity. Affront To their high holiness can do you harm - Not that their lofty power can be so hurt That it would thirst for vengeance in a rage For retribution - but that you yourself Will feel convinced that mighty tidal waves, Huge seas of anger, roll, and flood, and break Again…

Don what source is that? [41] Ad ea cum accedit, ut neque divinum numen horrea

The more literal Munro of the same passage from book 6: [68] Now unless you drive from your mind with loathing all these things, and banish far from you all belief in things degrading to the gods and inconsistent with their peace, then often will the holy deities of the gods, having their majesty lessened by you, do you hurt; not that the supreme power of the gods can be so outraged that in their wrath they shall resolve to exact sharp vengeance, but because you will fancy to yourself that they,…