Source edition
Epicharmus. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, Vol. 1. Diels, Hermann, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1922.
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This collection of fragments preserves the thought and wisdom of the ancient Greek comic poet Epicharmus. Through citations and translations by later writers such as Alcimus and the Roman poet Ennius, the work presents a multi-faceted view of his philosophy, ethics, and cosmology. The opening section introduces philosophical verses that prefigure Plato's theory of Forms and sophistical logic, alongside practical maxims on the self-preservation of living things and the wisdom of life. The middle portion unfolds his ethical views on moderation and piety, contrasting them with Euripides and exploring Ennius's Latin interpretations. The latter part presents cosmological fragments linking the elements and deities with natural cycles, concluding with various pseudepigraphal works attributed to him. Together, these fragments trace the trajectory of a playwright whose intellectual inquiries extended far beyond the theater.