The Basics of Happiness

Epicurus is an ancient Greek philosopher and the founder of his own doctrine known as Epicureanism. At the age of 32, he established his school. In Athens, the Epicureans gathered in a garden that belonged to him. Hence the second name of the school - "The Garden of Epicurus", and its inhabitants were called philosophers of the gardens. Epicurus preached spiritual tranquility and liberation from the fear of death. The foundation of happiness was considered the satisfaction of life’s needs. Therefore, newcomers to the school were greeted with the saying: "Guest, you will be well here. Here pleasure is the highest good". Of nearly three hundred works that Epicurus is believed to have written, only fragments have survived. The texts known to us today consist of three important letters to friends, eighty aphorisms called "Major Thoughts", and several dozen excerpts taken from his works. All texts are accompanied by detailed comments and explanations.