Epicurus: Hellenistic Time Period

Epicurus was a hedonist, a materialist and a consequentialist who strongly believed that in order to attain the good life one must live a pleasant existence free of worry and pain. Through reflection of the concepts in Epicurus’s Letter to Menoeceus this paper will

The concern topic is an essay that concentrates on the fact of living a good life. It is from the reading of Epictetus, the strategy of good living could be introduced to the human being in this world. The teachings of Epictetus has based on the living a happy life such that the human beings are satisfied with their birth and their livelihood on the earth. His teachings mainly dealt with the happiness that is found from doing work and satisfying the life of the people from the earning.

After reading Epictetus’ lecture called The Handbook, one can have a better understanding of Epictetus’ view on free will and what we are able to control as human beings. According to Epictetus, “…all that is in your power is your mind – more specifically, your judgments of whether or not to assent to its presentations – and only what is in your power should be of concern to you” (Reeve & Miller, 2015, pp. 443). It appears that Epictetus leaves a lot up to chance. According to Epictetus, whatever life gives you, you are to take it with open arms and deal with it the best way seen fit.

On the other hand, in the Epictetus’ Enchiridion, they barely talk about love. Rather than talk about love, in Enchiridion, Epictetus mentions the idea of the dignity of life in a rational way, but not an emotional way like Christianity. Being rational seems to become the core of Stoicism. “So far, there is nothing to value myself upon. And when I find an interpreter, what remains is to make use of his instructions. This alone is the valuable thing” (Epictetus par. 49). “Never say of anything, ‘I have l lost it’; but, ‘I have returned it’"(Epictetus par.11). Even though death is the saddest thing in the life, people can overcome it by this teaching. Such matters as birth, old age, illness, and death are the inevitable routes that every human being has to across. The universal laws show that the life is an eternal thing. People should not be sad when their family members die. Epictetus seems to avoid the grieve by rationality. After learning how to accept, people will not feel fear or pain anymore. This rational optimist’s thinking leads countless followers to attain happiness.

     Epictetus represents a myriad of concepts. One concept of which being that one should live with the awareness of human imperfection and finitude. He expresses the sentiment that one is able to relinquish the

In David Suits' article, An Epicurean Idea Suits addresses in detail the theory of Epicureanism. Suit begins by introducing the major fear humanity faces and explains to us how Epicurus would refute each fear. Suit then goes one step further to explain the different aspects of life that allow humans to achieve the ultimate goal in Epicurus’s mind ataraxia, which is peace of mind.

After this last class lecture and reading in this week’s assigned chapters it was so striking to me to see the vast similarities between Hellenistic culture and Judaism culture as it relates to religion. I come from a primarily Southern Baptist heritage so much of these similarities I have never heard or seen before. What I have taken so far out of this class is a better understanding of how the religion of Christianity has come to fruition. For me this class has been very eye opening I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing things from a new perspective the development of Christianity. To me I want to gain new perspectives and I want to be able to question what I believe so in essence I can have a broader view of Christianity.

The Hellenistic period lies within history during the reign of Alexander the Great and well into the era of Roman conquest throughout the Mediterranean region. This age was formative for the region as these two forces of power and government conquered the territory, uniting it in some form over time. The Greco-Roman world is what this area is commonly known as. This is the period Paul finds himself. The land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea occupies quite a large land area and the need for communication between long distances was vital. “As a result, the letter became a very important form of communication, both for providing information and for maintaining relationships as a substitute for personal presence”

The Hellenistic Times and Classical Times were each a period where the circumstances, lifestyles, and thought processes that people lived by were different in their respective societies. Although it is evident that both time periods are distinguishable, it does not mean that they share no connection towards each other at all. For I will compare, contrast, and explain the differences between the two and showcase the contributions that both eras gave to the world at the time they were made.

1. Increasing time pressures have led people to overextend themselves in certain areas of their lives, which can lead to a life imbalance and no way to achieve well-being. Aristotle believed that in order to achieve well-being, one must be able to balance and achieve virtues, pleasure, and happiness. This is known as an objective list theory. Epicurus believed that the key to achieving well-being was through pleasures. This theory is known as hedonism. Even though Aristotle and Epicurus did not agree on how to achieve well-being, their theories did offer one similarity which was balance. In order to achieve well-being, one must have a balanced life. For example, if a person were to overextend themselves at work, they would not be able to achieve certain pleasures, virtues, or happiness. Regardless of which theory one believes, a person must be able to balance their life in a way where everything is in perfect harmony. From my understanding, balance is the key to achieving well-being.

Alexander brought to the conquered land the Greeks, and with them the Greek culture. The people of these lands had to adapt to the changing views and adopted the Greek language in order to better understand each other. However, Hellenism was the blending of different cultures, like Egyptian, Persian, Indian and the Greeks, that would bring diversity to these conquered lands.

Epictetus was a Stoic philosopher who wrote, The Enchiridion, a manual which instructed people on how to live their life ethically and honorably on a social level. His belief was that regardless of personal conditions, people could live with pride and discipline. Epictetus tells us differentiating between what is in our own power to control and what is not is the key to a noble life (281).

These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair. Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.3 The Greek philosopher Epicurus is most likely the first recognized philosopher to ask how the existence of evil could be compatible with the nature of God (The Wrath of God 13).4 According to Epicurean philosophy, the notions of good and evil are identified with pleasure and pain respectively. The Epicurean claim is that only pleasure is good. Accordingly, this translates into “pursue pleasure (good) and avoid pain (evil).”5 David Hume in Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion says of Epicurus: “Epicurus’ old questions are yet unanswered. Is he (God) willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?”6 Even if Epicurus is regarded as the first to raise

This paper will look at the political including economic, and cultural and social developments during the Hellenistic period. I personally found that there are many positive developments; whereas the least positive development I found were the multiple wars that ravaged the Hellenistic civilization especially the Wars of the Successors (322 – 275 B.C.).

Epicurus lived a life of simplicity, and studied at great length what happiness meant, and announced a set of insights that we only need three things to be happy. These were not of grandeur, riches, or fame, they were simple truths that hid underneath those desires. His beliefs were as follows, that you need your friends around, not just on an every so often basis, regular contact is what counts. Secondly, working for yourself instead of others, getting a sense of helping people out of your work. And lastly that we need to stay calm. We will always be in search of happiness, and the Epicurean lifestyle may be of some insight to us even in the present day.