70 Best Epicurus Quotes From The Ancient Greek Philosopher And Sage

Epicurus was an ancient Greek sage and philosopher.

Epicurus was best known as the creator of Epicureanism which was a school of influential philosophy. Epicurus is termed as one of the major philosophers of the Hellenistic period.

Epicurus’ philosophy involved viewing the human life goals along with an empiricist theory of knowledge, and descriptions of nature-based atomistic materialism. He also promoted living a simple life where the focus was to achieve as much pleasure from life as one could by living life to the fullest with minimal efforts on worldly pleasures that were easily achievable. He preached to people that they should not overindulge in pleasure to the point of it causing sufferings.

The followers of Epicureanism believe in seeking modesty and pleasure in the form of tranquility and through limiting desires. You could check out Epicurus atheist quotes and Epicurus quote on God.

For more related content take a look at Greek quotes and [Epictetus quotes].

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Here are the best quotes about philosophy from the ancient Greek philosopher who was one of the best of his time.

1.  “What will happen to me if that which this desire seeks is achieved, and what if it is not?”

— Epicurus.

2. “The fool’s life is empty of gratitude and full of fears; its course lies wholly toward the future.”

— Epicurus.

3. “Stranger, here you do well to tarry; here our highest good is pleasure.”

— Epicurus.

4. “There are infinite worlds both like and unlike this world of ours. For the atoms being infinite in number...are borne on far out into space.”

— Epicurus, Letter to Herodotus, in ‘Epicurus: The Extant Remains’.

5. “My heart is full of fun when I have bread and water”

— Epicurus.

6. “Happiness is man’s greatest aim in life. Tranquility and rationality are the cornerstones of happiness.”

— Epicurus.

7. “No pleasure is in itself evil, but the things which produce certain pleasures entail annoyances many times greater than the pleasures themselves.”

— Epicurus.

8. “A man who causes fear cannot be free from fear.”

— Epicurus.

9. “I was not; I have been; I am not; I do not mind.”

— Epicurus.

10. “In a philosophical dispute, he gains most who is defeated, since he learns most.”

— Epicurus.

11. “He who is not satisfied with a little, is satisfied with nothing.”  

— Epicurus.

12. “Never say that I have taken it, only that I have given it back.”

— Epicurus.

13. “Empty is the argument of the philosopher which does not relieve any human suffering.”

— Epicurus.

14. “The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool.”

— Epicurus.

15. “Nothing is enough to the man for whom enough is too little.”

— Epicurus.

16. “The impassive soul disturbs neither itself nor others.”

― Epicurus, ‘The Art of Happiness’.

17. “There is no such thing as justice in the abstract; it is merely a compact between men.”

— Epicurus.

18. “Vain is the word of that philosopher which does not heal any suffering of man.”

— Epicurus.

19. “Virtue consisteth of three parts,—temperance, fortitude, and justice.”

— Epicurus.

20. “If you would enjoy real freedom, you must be the slave of Philosophy.”

— Epicurus.

21. “Fortune seldom troubles the wise man.”

— Epicurus, ‘Letters: Principles Doctrines’.

Here are great quotes from Epicurus that will inspire and motivate you.

22. “The man least dependent upon the morrow goes to meet the morrow most cheerfully.”

— Epicurus.

23. “Let no one delay the study of philosophy while young nor weary of it when old.”

— Epicurus.

24. “Some men spend their whole life furnishing for themselves the things proper to life without realizing that at our birth each of us was poured a mortal brew to drink.”

— Epicurus.

25. “You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”

— Epicurus.

26. “We must, therefore, pursue the things that make for happiness, seeing that when happiness is present, we have everything; but when it is absent, we do everything to possess it.”

— Epicurus.

27. “The time when you should most of all withdraw into yourself is when you are forced to be in a crowd.”

— Epicurus.

28. “The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it.”

— Epicurus.

29. “Men inflict injuries from hatred, jealousy or contempt, but the wise man masters all these passions by means of reason.”

― Epicurus, ‘The Art of Happiness’.

Some of the best Epicurus quotes about religion and Epicurus God quotes.

30. “If God listened to the prayers of men, all men would quickly have perished: for they are forever praying for evil against one another.”

— Epicurus.

31. “Don’t fear the gods, don’t worry about death. What is good is easy to get, and what is terrible is easy to endure.”

— Epicurus.

32. “It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.”

— Epicurus.

33. “God is not to be feared, death is not to be expected and what is good is easy to get and what is terrible is easy to endure.”

— Epicurus.

34. “For the gods exist, since the knowledge about them is obvious.”

— Epicurus.

Epicurus quotes about life and its meaning.

35. It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us, as the confidence of their help.

— Epicurus.

36. “Most men are in a coma when they are at rest and mad when they act.”

— Epicurus, ‘Letters: Principles Doctrines’.

37. “A free life cannot acquire many possessions, because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs.”

— Epicurus.

38. “It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly. And it is impossible to live wisely and well and justly without living a pleasant life.”

— Epicurus.

39. “A happy and eternal being has no trouble himself and brings no trouble upon any other being; hence he is exempt from movements of anger and partiality, for every such movement implies weakness.”

— Epicurus.

40. “As if they were our own handiwork we place a high value on our characters.”

— Epicurus, ‘Letters: Principles Doctrines’.

41. “How unhappy are the lives of men! How purblind their hearts!”

— Epicurus.

42. “Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.”

— Epicurus.

43. “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, ‘Letters: Principles Doctrines’.

44. “He who least needs tomorrow, will most gladly greet tomorrow.”

— Epicurus.

45. “The most important consequence of self-sufficiency is freedom.”

― Epicurus, ‘The Art of Happiness’.

46. “To eat and drink without a friend is to devour like the lion and the wolf.”

— Epicurus.

47. “Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance.”

— Epicurus.

48. “Of all the means to ensure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.”

— Epicurus.

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

— Epicurus, ‘Letters: Principles Doctrines’.

50. “When you die, your mind will be gone even faster than your body.”

— Epicurus.

Great quotes on death by the ancient Greek philosopher that will make you think!

51. “If death causes you no pain when you’re dead, it is foolish to allow the fear of it to cause you pain now.”

— Epicurus.

52. “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.

53. “Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.”

— Epicurus.

54. “There is nothing terrible in life for the man who realizes there is nothing terrible in death.”

— Epicurus.

55. “Death is nothing to us, since when we are, death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.”

— Epicurus.

Epicurus quotes on wisdom and the human psyche.

56. “Of all the things which wisdom provides to make life entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship.”

— Epicurus.

57. “Those who tell the young man to live well and the old man to die well is nothing but a fool, not only for what life has in happiness to both young and old, but also for one must be careful to live honestly as well as die honestly.”

— Epicurus.

58. “Misfortune seldom intrudes upon the wise man; his greatest and highest interests are directed by reason throughout the course of life.”

— Epicurus.

59. “Where without any change in circumstances the things held to be just by law are seen not to correspond with the concept of justice in actual practice, such laws are not really just.”

— Epicurus.

60. “When someone admits one and rejects another which is equally in accordance with the appearances, it is clear that he has quitted all physical explanation and descended into myth.

— Epicurus, ‘Letter to Pythocles’, page 87.

61. “True wisdom, the real superiority does not win by fighting but by letting it happen for themselves. Plants that resist wind break, while the flexible plants survive the hurricane.”

— Epicurus.

62. “With the Epicureans it was never science for the sake of science but always science for the sake of human happiness.”

― Epicurus, ‘The Art of Happiness’.

63. “Let no one be slow to seek wisdom when he is young nor weary in the search of it when he has grown old. For no age is too early or too late for the health of the soul.”

— Epicurus.

Epicurus quotes about wealth and its effect on human nature.

64. “A large fortune is accumulated by extremely hard work, but [thus] life becomes miserable.”

— Epicurus.

65. “He who needs riches least, enjoys riches most.”

— Epicurus.

66. “Luxurious food and drinks, in no way protect you from harm. Wealth beyond what is natural, is no more use than an overflowing container. Real value is not generated by theaters, and baths, perfumes or ointments, but by philosophy.”

— Epicurus.

67. “Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss.”

— Epicurus.

68. “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.”

— Epicurus.

69. “If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.”

— Epicurus.

70. “Natural wealth is limited and easily obtained; the wealth defined by vain fancies is always beyond reach.”

— Epicurus, ‘Letters: Principles Doctrines’.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Epicurus quotes then why not take a look at ancient quotes or 'Iliad' quotes.

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