Source edition
Epicurus. Epicuri epistulae tres et ratae sententiae a Laertio Diogene Servatae. von der Mühll, Peter, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1922.
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a philosophical treatise in which Epicurus summarizes his core teachings for achieving a happy life in forty short maxims. The first part addresses the need for natural philosophy (physika) to dispel fears of the gods and death, while outlining the limits of pleasure and pain. The middle section discusses the limits of wealth, the management of bodily and mental pleasures through reason, and the vital role of sensory perception in determining truth. It also emphasizes that withdrawing from public life and cultivating friendship are key to obtaining ultimate peace of mind. The final part categorizes human desires and defines justice not as an inherent virtue, but as a mutable social contract designed to prevent mutual harm. Through these rational principles, the work presents a practical guide to achieving an undisturbed mind (ataraxia).