1
Death, therefore, the most awful of evils, is nothing to us, seeing that, when we are, death is not come, and, when death is come, we are not.Epicurus
2
He who is not satisfied with a little, is satisfied with nothing .Epicurus
3
Accustom yourself to the belief that death is of no concern to us, since all good and evil lie in sensation and sensation ends with death. Therefore the true belief that death is nothing to us makes a mortal life happy, not by adding to it an infinite time, but by taking away the desire for immortality. For there is no reason why the man who is thoroughly assured that there is nothing to fear in death should find anything to fear in life. So, too, he is foolish who says that he fears death, not because it will be painful when it comes, but because the anticipation of it is painful; for that which is no burden when it is present gives pain to no purpose when it is anticipated. Death, the most dreaded of evils, is therefore of no concern to us; for while we exist death is not present, and when death is present we no longer exist. It is therefore nothing either to the living or to the dead since it is not present to the living, and the dead no longer are.Epicurus
4
Never say that I have taken it, only that I have given it back.Epicurus
5
Don't fear the gods, Don't worry about death; What is good is easy to get, and What is terrible is easy to endure.Epicurus
6
If you wish to make Pythocles rich, do not add to his store of money, but subtract from his desires.Epicurus
7
He who says either that the time for philosophy has not yet come or that it has passed is like someone who says that the time for happiness has not yet come or that it has passed.Epicurus
8
The wise man who has become accustomed to necessities knows better how to share with others than how to take from them, so great a treasure of self-sufficiency has he found.Epicurus
9
Empty is the argument of the philosopher which does not relieve any human suffering.Epicurus
10
Let no one delay the study of philosophy while young nor weary of it when old.Epicurus
11
The man who says that all events are necessitated has no ground for critizing the man who says that not all events are necessitated. For according to him this is itself a necessitated event.Epicurus
12
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?Epicurus
13
The noble man is chiefly concerned with wisdom and friendship; of these, the former is a mortal good, the latter and immortal one.Epicurus
14
Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.Epicurus
15
When, therefore, we maintain that pleasure is the end, we do not mean the pleasures of profligates and those that consist in sensuality, as is supposed by some who are either ignorant or disagree with us or do not understand, but freedom from pain in the body and from trouble in the mind. For it is not continuous drinkings and revelings, nor the satisfaction of lusts, nor the enjoyment of fish and other luxuries of the wealthy table, which produce a pleasant life, but sober reasoning, searching out the motives for all choice and avoidance, and banishing mere opinions, to which are due the greatest disturbance of the spirit.Epicurus
16
Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.Epicurus
17
Why should I fear death? If I am, then death is not. If Death is, then I am not. Why should I fear that which can only exist when I do not? Long time men lay oppressed with slavish fear. Religious tyranny did domineer. At length the mighty one of GreeceBegan to assent the liberty of man.Epicurus
18
I was not, I was, I am not, I care not. (Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo)Epicurus
19
So death, the most terrifying of ills, is nothing to us, since so long as we exist, death is not with us; but when death comes, then we do not exist. It does not then concern either the living or the dead, since for the former it is not, and the latter are no more.Epicurus
20
[A] right understanding that death is nothingto us makes the mortality of life enjoyable, not because it adds to itan infinite span of time, but because it takes away the craving forimmortality. For there is nothing terrible in life for the man who hastruly comprehended that there is nothing terrible in not living.Epicurus
21
It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us.Epicurus
22
Men inflict injuries from hatred, jealousy or contempt, but the wise man masters all these passions by means of reason.Epicurus
23
The impassive soul disturbs neither itself nor others.Epicurus
24
So long as we exist, death is not with us; but when death comes, then we do not existEpicurus
25
27. Of all the means which are procured by wisdom to ensure happiness throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is the acquisition of firends.Epicurus
26
Death means nothing to usEpicurus
27
Death is nothing to us, because a body that has been dispersed into elements experiences no sensations, and the absence of sensation is nothing to us.Epicurus
28
He who least needs tomorrow, will most gladly greet tomorrow.Epicurus
29
The time when you should most of all withdraw into yourself is when you are forced to be in a crowd.Epicurus
30
Nothing is sufficient for the person who finds sufficiency too littleEpicurus
31
If the gods listened to the prayers of men, all men would quickly have perished: for they are forever praying for evil against one anotherEpicurus
32
If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.Epicurus
33
The time when most of all you should withdraw into yourself is when you are forced to be in a crowd.Epicurus
34
The art of living well and the art of dying well are one.Epicurus
35
Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy much the greatest is the possession of friendship.Epicurus
36
The summit of pleasure is the elimination of all that gives pain.Epicurus
37
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not remember that what you now have was once among the things only hoped for.Epicurus
38
Nothing is enough to the man for whom enough is too little.Epicurus
39
Whoever does not regard what he has as most ample wealth is unhappy though he is master of the world.Epicurus
40
Of all the things which wisdom provides to make life entirely happy much the greatest is the possession of friendship.Epicurus
41
It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confidence of their help.Epicurus
42
Any device whatever by which one frees himself from fear is a natural good.Epicurus
43
It is vain to ask of the gods what man is capable of supplying for himself.Epicurus
44
The greater the difficulty the more glory in surmounting it.Epicurus
45
The flesh endures the storms of the present alone the mind those of the past and future as well as the present.Epicurus
46
The flesh endures the storms of the present alone the mind those of the past and future as well.Epicurus
47
The man least dependent upon the morrow goes to meet the morrow most cheerfully.Epicurus
48
To be rich is not the end but only a change of worries.Epicurus
49
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.Epicurus
50
It is possible to provide security against other ills, but as far as death is concerned, we men live in a city without walls.Epicurus
51
Let no one be slow to seek wisdom when he is young nor weary in the search of it when he has grown old. For no age is too early or too late for the health of the soul.Epicurus
52
We must exercise ourselves in the things which bring happiness, since, if that be present, we have everything, and, if that be absent, all our actions are directed toward attaining it.Epicurus
53
It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.Epicurus
54
If God listened to the prayers of men, all men would quickly have perished: for they are forever praying for evil against one another.Epicurus
55
It is better for you to be free of fear lying upon a pallet, than to have a golden couch and a rich table and be full of trouble.Epicurus
56
Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship.Epicurus
57
It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confidence of their help.Epicurus
58
Both old and young alike ought to seek wisdom: the former in order that, as age comes over him, he may be young in good things because of the grace of what has been, and the latter in order that, while he is young, he may at the same time be old, because he has no fear of the things which are to come.Epicurus
59
There is no such thing as justice in the abstract it is merely a compact between men.Epicurus