“Let no one put off the love and practice of wisdom when young, nor grow tired of it when old. For it is never too early or too late for the health of the soul. Someone who says that the time to love and practice wisdom has not yet come or has passed is like someone who says that the time for happiness has not yet come or has passed.” – Epicurus, Letter to Menoeceus

The Society of Friends of Epicurus is a non-academic fraternity of practitioners of Epicurean philosophy. Epicurus, a Greek philosopher from the 3rd century BCE, advocated a naturalistic worldview whereby the universe is subject to the laws of physics without divine intervention. He taught that the world can be understood through an approach to knowledge that is evidence-based and that pleasure, pursued intelligently and ethically, with a community of supportive friends, is the goal of life.

Our mission is to promote and reconstitute the teaching mission and traditions of the Epicurean Garden, the philosophical School of Athens founded by Epicurus and his friends, in order to ensure the cultural and intellectual continuity of this tradition for the happiness of present and future generations. 

Learn more about the teaching mission of the Society of Friends of Epicurus here 

Friendship and community were important to the practice of Epicurean philosophy. You can join us for online exchanges and monthly virtual gatherings in our Garden of Epicurus Facebook group.

Epicureanism was more than just an intellectual endeavor, it was a community of friends and a way of life. Below are some features of the Epicurean tradition, one of the major philosophical traditions of ancient Greece and Rome.

Ho kepos: The Garden

The school of philosophy founded by Epicurus along with family members and friends was known as the Garden (ho kepos). Along with being a philosophical current, the Garden was also a place of gathering located just outside of Athens, where people of all backgrounds, including women and slaves, would assemble not only to learn philosophy and ethical living, but form a community of friends who offered both affection and mutual support. For more than 5 centuries, Epicurean communities developed and thrived throughout the ancient Mediterranean world.

Learn more about life in the Epicurean communities and how they practiced philosophy here

Join our modern Garden on Facebook and exchange with modern Epicureans here 

Eikas: Celebration of the 20th

More than an adherence to philosophical ideas, being an Epicurean was part of a person’s identity. This meant that the Garden, aside from following the traditions and taking part in the celebrations of the societies they lived in, also had their own rituals. Epicurus mentions the following holidays in his final will: a day celebrating his birthday in conjunction with funerary rites for his parents and brothers, another day celebrating his brothers, and another in honor of his friend Polyaenus. However, the Epicureans’ most famous celebration was Eikas, a day of gathering and feasting in honor of Epicurus and his closest friend Metrodorus, who together symbolize the ideal of friendship.  Eikas falls on the 20th of every month.This day was so important for the Epicurean tradition that they became known to the wider public as Twentiers. 

Learn more about Eikas here

Modern Epicureans have brought back Eikas in honor of the memory of Epicurus and Metrodorus and as a day for Epicureans to meet, get to know each other, and discuss philosophy.

More on our revival of Eikas here 

Ancient Epicureans also welcomed well-disposed outsiders to their Eikas feasts. You are welcome to join us for our virtual Eikas discussion on our Garden of Epicurus Facebook group. 

The Hegemon: Epicurus

Our Hegemon (or philosophical School leader), Epicurus, son of Neocles, was born in 341 BCE in an Athenian settlement on the island of Samos, in the Aegean Sea. Dissatisfied with the religious superstitions of his time, he turned to philosophy at a young age in order to understand the nature of the universe and find purpose in life. Having traveled around the Mediterranean for many years, studied under different teachers and recruited many followers of his own, he started his own philosophical school largely inspired by the atomistic philosophy of Democritus.

He finally settled in Athens where he founded the philosophical school called the Garden, which would become a major rival to the schools of Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics. Epicurus died in 270 BCE from stone blockage of his urinary tract. It was a slow and painful death but according to the tradition Epicurus remained cheerful due to the good memories of his life with his friends. 

Learn more about Epicurus here

The Kathegemones: The Four Founders

Epicurus did not start his philosophy alone, but in collaboration and in conversation with his closest friends. During his travels, he met Hermarchus in Mytilene and Metrodorus and Polyaenus in Lampsachus. Together, Epicurus, Metrodorus, Hermarchus and Polyaenus were known by future generations as the Kathegemones (the Guides) and their writings were considered authoritative by later Epicureans for many centuries. 

Other early members of the Garden–such as Idomeneus, Colotes, or Polystratus–were also valued by the later tradition, and their writings inspired later Epicurean commentators. 

Learn more about the Four Founders here

The Diadochi: The Scholarchs

After Epicurus’ death, the position of head of the Garden was held by his close friend Hermarchus, who in turn was succeeded by other leaders, leading to a line of succession which lasted for many centuries. These community leaders were known as Diadochi (Scholarchs). While the main center of Epicurean philosophy was located in Athens, other Epicurean communities all over the Mediterranean, including in Italy, Anatolia and Syria, had their own Scholarchs. 

This succession ended in antiquity and no one today is able to claim direct lineage to the founders of the Garden, or to claim the title of Scholarch. However, the Scholarchs of the past are still revered by Epicureans today for their contributions to Epicurean philosophy and for transmitting to us much of what we know about the tradition. 

Learn more about the Scholarchs here

The Pragmateia (Epicurean authoritative writings)

The writings of Epicurus, Metrodorus, Hermarchus and Polyaenus were considered foundational and authoritative by generations of Epicureans and were read, studied and commented on for many centuries. Together, these writings were called the Pragmateia, and can be thought of as a kind of Epicurean equivalent to the Christian Bible or the Theravada Buddhist Pali Canon. Unfortunately almost all of these writings have been lost. For example, of the approximately 300 scrolls written by Epicurus, only three letters remain, as well as a certain amount of maxims and quotations from ancient authors. Even less remains from Metrodorus, Hermarchus and Polyaenus.

However, we must consider ourselves fortunate for having access to other sources from later Epicureans that allow us to reconstruct Epicurean philosophy: the latin poem De Rerum Natura by Lucretius, the remains of the Herculaneum library, including many works from Philodemus, and the wall inscription by Diogenes of Oinoanda. Together with the testimonies from other writers from that period, these writings can serve as a new Pragmateia for those who want to live as Epicureans in the 21st century.

Learn more about the Epicurean writings here

Kyriai Doxai: The Principal Doctrines

Epicurus was well aware that his longer writings could be difficult to access or understand for a wider audience, but also for more advanced disciples. To remedy this, Epicurus wrote summaries of his teachings in the form of letters, such as the Letter to Menoeceus on ethics. Another method used were lists of maxims that served to aid students to assimilate the main teaching of the philosophy. The most popular of these lists was the Kyriai Doxai, often translated as Principal Doctrines, which contains 40 important maxims covering many of the main points of Epicurus’ ethical doctrines. These 40 doctrines represent a kind of authoritative text within the much larger corpus of authoritative writings, and could be compared to the Yoga Sutras from the yoga tradition of India, or the Gathas in Zoroastrianism. Ideally, the Epicurean student would want to memorize these teachings and discuss them with fellow philosophers.

Learn more about the Principal Doctrines here

The Tetrapharmakos: The Four Remedies

The Tetrapharmakos (translated as the four remedies, or four cures) is a summary of the four first maxims of the Principal Doctrines and serves as the briefest expression of Epicurean teachings, in a similar fashion to the Four Noble Truths of the Buddhists. These four Epicurean cures are:

Do not fear the gods

Do not fear death

What is pleasant is easy to attain

What is painful is easy to endure

This is Epicureanism boiled down to its simplest expression and can serve as a kind of mantra or creed for those who decide to go down the Epicurean path. 

Learn more about the Four Remedies here

“. . . for we need not the appearance of health but true health”