Epicurus

Epicurus founded the Garden School of Greek Philosophy, a hedonistic school centered on the pursuit of contentment and serenity of mind and body, which was achieved though avoiding pain and living a simple, aesthetic life.

Epicurus was born on the Greek island of Samos in 341 B.C. His father, Neocles, was an Athenian who immigrated to Somos for financial reasons. His mother had the status of a fortune teller, and his apprentice ship with her may be the reason for his later critical thoughts on superstition and his radical renunciation of the ancient Greek myths and stories. Epicurus' parents low social status hindered him for most of his life.

Epicurus had a happy home life with his three brothers and parents. His brothers would later join him at the Garden School as his disciples. His study of philosophy began at age fourteen when he was not satisfied by his schoolmaster' explanation of the meaning of "chaos" at the Hesiod school.

When he turned eighteen, he served two years of mandatory military service in Athens, at an exciting time when both Xenocrates and Aristotle were lecturing. He noticeably habituated himself with the works of Aristippus, Socrates, and Pyrrhon of Elis. He served in a garrison with future playwright Menander, with whom he established a close friendship; many critics believe that they see the imprint of Epicurus' ideas upon Menander's later plays.

When Epicurus returned to live with his family, it was in Colophon, not Samos. Their family had been expelled from their home by a dictator, as had other Athenians. He studied under Nausiphanes, who followed the teachings of Democritus. he moved to the island of Lesbos and taught there, but his radical beliefs caused discontent in the community, and he left after a year.

He based a school in Lampsacus before returning to Athens in 306 BC.

There he founded The Garden, a school named for the garden he owned about halfway between the Stoa and the Academy that served as the school's meeting place. The Garden had a small but devoted following, and his acceptance of women and slaves into the school helped. The Garden school had a strict government, with Epicurus, and only Epicurus as the authoritative figure. It was a very benevolent dictatorship, and students there lived less like students at a college and more like friends at a study group. The main study of Epicureanism

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