Epicurus Quotes

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

He who is not satisfied with a little, is satisfied with nothing .

~ Epicurus

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

Never say that I have taken it, only that I have given it back.

~ Epicurus

Don't fear the gods,Don't worry about death;What is good is easy to get, andWhat is terrible is easy to endure.

~ Epicurus

If you wish to make Pythocles rich, do not add to his store of money, but subtract from his desires.

~ Epicurus

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

Empty is the argument of the philosopher which does not relieve any human suffering.

~ Epicurus

Let no one delay the study of philosophy while young nor weary of it when old.

~ Epicurus

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

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

The noble man is chiefly concerned with wisdom and friendship; of these, the former is a mortal good, the latter and immortal one.

~ Epicurus

Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.

~ Epicurus

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

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

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

I was not, I was, I am not, I care not. (Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo)

~ Epicurus

[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

Men inflict injuries from hatred, jealousy or contempt, but the wise man masters all these passions by means of reason.

~ Epicurus

The impassive soul disturbs neither itself nor others.

~ Epicurus

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

Death means nothing to us

~ Epicurus

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

He who least needs tomorrow, will most gladly greet tomorrow.

~ Epicurus

The time when you should most of all withdraw into yourself is when you are forced to be in a crowd.

~ Epicurus

If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.

~ Epicurus

The time when most of all you should withdraw into yourself is when you are forced to be in a crowd.

~ Epicurus

The art of living well and the art of dying well are one.

~ Epicurus

Any device whatever by which one frees himself from fear is a natural good.

~ Epicurus

It is vain to ask of the gods what man is capable of supplying for himself.

~ Epicurus

The greater the difficulty the more glory in surmounting it.

~ Epicurus

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

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

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

It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.

~ Epicurus

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

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

The art of living well and the art of dying well are one.

~ Epicurus

Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship.

~ Epicurus

It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confidence of their help.

~ Epicurus