Many Epicurean texts have also been found on scrolls unearthed at the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum, mostly works written by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus or his teacher Zeno of Sidon along with fragments of works by Epicurus himself. The epic poem De rerum natura (Latin for On the Nature of Things) by Lucretius presents the core arguments and theories of Epicureanism in one unified work. However, there are independent attestations of his ideas from his later disciples. Diogenes Laërtius preserves three letters written by Epicurus as well as a list of the Principal Doctrines of Epicureanism. Correspondingly, Epicurus and his followers generally withdrew from politics because it could lead to frustrations and ambitions that would conflict with their pursuit of virtue and peace of mind. Following the Cyrenaic philosopher Aristippus, Epicurus believed that the greatest good was to seek modest, sustainable pleasure in the form of a state of ataraxia (tranquility and freedom from fear) and aponia (the absence of bodily pain) through knowledge of the workings of the world and limiting desires. Although Epicureanism is a form of hedonism insofar as it declares pleasure to be its sole intrinsic goal, the concept that the absence of pain and fear constitutes the greatest pleasure, and its advocacy of a simple life, make it very different from "hedonism" as colloquially understood. Epicureanism was originally a challenge to Platonism. His materialism led him to a general attack on superstition and divine intervention. Epicureanism is a system of philosophy founded around 307 BC based upon the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus.Įpicurus was an atomic materialist, following in the steps of Democritus.
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