Epicurus Quotes

58 Sourced Quotes

Necessity is an evil; but there is no necessity for continuing to live subject to necessity.

Epicurus
What will happen to me if that which this desire seeks is achieved, and what if it is not?

Epicurus
The flesh receives as unlimited the limits of pleasure; and to provide it requires unlimited time. But the mind, intellectually grasping what the end and limit of the flesh is, and banishing the terrors of the future, procures a complete and perfect life, and we have no longer any need of unlimited time. Nevertheless the mind does not shun pleasure, and even when circumstances make death imminent, the mind does not lack enjoyment of the best life.

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
A world is a circumscribed portion of sky...it is a piece cut off from the infinite.

Epicurus
It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and honorably and justly, and it is impossible to live wisely and honorably and justly without living pleasantly. Whenever any one of these is lacking, when, for instance, the man is not able to live wisely, though he lives honorably and justly, it is impossible for him to live a pleasant life.

Epicurus
Injustice is not evil in itself, but only in the fear and apprehension that one will not escape those who have been set up to punish the offense.

Epicurus
Of our desires some are natural and necessary, others are natural but not necessary; and others are neither natural nor necessary, but are due to groundless opinion.

Epicurus