Live unnoticed: On the Vicissitudes of an Epicurean doctrineAgainst the background of age-old Greek wisdom, Epicurus' advice to 'live unnoticed' (lathe biosas) was particularly provocative and scandalous. Why, after all, would an unknown Greek soldier in Agamemnon's army have been happier than famous Achilles? Or why should an ordinary Athenian be regarded as more blessed and enviable than Pericles? Yet Epicurus' ideal was far from unattractive, guaranteeing as it did a quiet and untroubled existence far from the dangerous turmoil of public life. This book casts new light on Epicurus' socio-political philosophy through a careful analysis of his arguments. It also shows how the ideal of an 'unnoticed life' was received during the later history of Epicureanism and how it occasionally occurs in ancient Latin poetry. |
Contents
Chapter One Introduction | 1 |
Chapter Two Epicurus | 29 |
Epicurus συμφιλοσοφοθντες | 67 |
Chapter Four Later generations of the school | 83 |
Chapter Five Conclusion | 145 |
Augustan poetry | 155 |
| 189 | |
| 209 | |
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advice to live ambition appears argues argument Aristotle Athens attack avoid calculus Cicero claim clear Colot conclusion concrete connected contemporary context curean death Democritus desires Diog Diogenes Laertius Diogenes of Oenoanda discussion domain engage in politics Epicurean doctrine Epicurean ideal Epicurean perspective Epicurean philosophy Epicurean point Epicurean sage Epicurus epist Erler ethical euergetic Euripides fame famous fragment friends Hermarchus honour Horace Horace's Idomeneus implies important inscription interesting interpretation ISBN 90 Laert Lebedus live unnoticed Lucretius M.F. Smith maxim merely Metrodorus Moreover motif natural Nausiphanes offer orthodox Epicurean otium Ovid Ovid's participation in politics passage PHerc Philodemus philosophical pleasure Plutarch poet polemical politician position problem question reference regarded remains rerum natura Rhet rhetoric Roman Scaeva Seelenheilung Seneca sequestered shows Siro sources Stobaeus Stoic supra tion Tityrus traditional true underline understood Virgil vita ἀσφάλεια ἐξ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων καὶ λάθε βιώσας μὴ τὸ τῶν