17. Epicurus (341 BC – 270 BC)

Original language: Greek.

I read “Letter to Herodotus” (not a letter to the historian Herodotus) and “Letter to Menoeceus,” both online.

Letter to Herodotus

The main surprising thing is that Epicurus thought (correctly) that matter is made of atoms. He got a few things wrong, and he believed in the existence of the soul, but pretty fascinating how advanced the ancient Greeks were. 

Letter to Menoeceus

Not much notable about it – I disagree with his notion that pleasure is just the absence of pain. 


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