Main Thoughts. With Comments and Illustrations

Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher and the founder of his own teachings, which became known as Epicureanism. At the age of 32, he established his school. In Athens, Epicureans gathered in a garden that belonged to him. Hence, the school received its second name — "Garden of Epicurus", and its inhabitants were called the "philosophers from the gardens". Epicurus preached spiritual tranquility and liberation from the fear of death. The basis of happiness was considered to be the satisfaction of life's needs. Therefore, those entering 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 "Main Thoughts", and several dozen excerpts extracted from his works. All texts are accompanied by detailed comments and explanations.