Live unnoticed (Philosophia Antiqua)

249 Pages·2007·1.01 MB·English

by  Roskam

Live unnoticed
(Λ(cid:3)(cid:4)ε (cid:6)ι(cid:8)σας)
Philosophia Antiqua
A Series of Studies on Ancient Philosophy
PreviousEditors
J.H. Waszink†
W.J. Verdenius†
J.C.M. Van Winden
Editedby
K.A. Algra
F.A.J. De Haas
J. Mansfeld
C.J. Rowe
D.T. Runia
Ch. Wildberg
VOLUME111
Live unnoticed
(Λ(cid:3)(cid:4)ε (cid:6)ι(cid:8)σας)
On the Vicissitudes of an
Epicurean Doctrine
By
Geert Roskam
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2007
Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper.
ISSN: 0079-1678
ISBN:9789004161719
Copyright2007byKoninklijkeBrillNV,Leiden,TheNetherlands.
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To my parents
Ipsaenimaltitudoattonatsumma
(Maecenas,ap.Senec.,epist.19,9)
…ledefirquei’aydevivreenrepos&decontinuer
la vie que i’ ay commencée en prenant pour ma
deuife:benèvixit,benèquilatuit …
(Descartes, Letter to Mersenne, April1634 ; ed. Adam-
TanneryI,285–286)
EpikurhatzuallenZeitengelebtundlebtnoch,un-
bekannt denen, welche sich Epikureer nannten und
nennen, und ohne Ruf bei den Philosophen. Auch
hat er selber den eigenen Namen vergessen: es war
dasschwersteGepäck,welcheserjeabgeworfenhat.
(Nietzsche,Menschliches,Allzumenschliches,2,227)

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements .................................................... ix
Abbreviations .......................................................... xi
ChapterOne.Introduction ........................................... 1
ChapterTwo.Epicurus................................................ 29
2.1. Introduction ..................................................... 29
2.2. Themaximλ(cid:3)(cid:4)ε(cid:6)ι(cid:8)σαςandEpicurus’extantwritings....... 33
2.3. Themaximλ(cid:3)(cid:4)ε(cid:6)ι(cid:8)σαςinsecondarysources................. 41
2.3.1. Themaximitself ........................................ 41
2.3.2. Themaximinitsbroadercontext...................... 44
2.4. Themotivationsbehind λ(cid:3)(cid:4)ε(cid:6)ι(cid:8)σας........................... 63
ChapterThree.TheEpicureans ofthefirstgeneration:Epicurus’
συμ(cid:13)ιλ(cid:14)σ(cid:14)(cid:13)(cid:14)(cid:15)ντες...................................................... 67
3.1. AquickglanceintheGarden .................................. 67
3.2. Metrodorus ...................................................... 69
3.3. Hermarchus ..................................................... 76
3.4. Colotes........................................................... 80
ChapterFour.Latergenerationsoftheschool ....................... 83
4.1. Lucretius......................................................... 83
4.1.1. Introduction ............................................. 83
4.1.2. Lucretius’politicalphilosophyinDererumnatura....... 86
4.1.3. Livingunnoticed?Lucretius’ultimateambitions ...... 99
4.2. Philodemus ......................................................101
4.2.1. Introduction .............................................101
4.2.2. Theautonomyofpolitics… ...........................104
4.2.3. …andofphilosophy....................................108
4.2.4. Theinteractionoftwoseparate worlds.................120
4.2.5. Livingunnoticedinthefaceofdeath? .................125
4.2.6. Conclusion...............................................128
4.3. DiogenesofOenoanda..........................................129
viii contents
ChapterFive.Conclusion.............................................145
ChapterSix.Appendix:Augustan poetry............................155
6.1. Virgil.............................................................155
6.2. Horace...........................................................166
6.3. Ovid..............................................................179
Bibliography ...........................................................189
Indices
Indexnominum.....................................................209
Indexlocorum ......................................................213
Indexrerum.........................................................229
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
According to later traditions, Epicurus claimed to have learned noth-
ing from his philosophical predecessors. He even gave his own teacher
Nausiphanes the hardly enviable nickname of ‘jelly-fish’. I have abso-
lutelynoreasontofollowhisexample.
I have every reason, in fact, to be grateful to L. Van der Stockt,
who was the supervisor of my PhD-dissertation on Plutarch and who
since then has continued and still continues to encourage and support
me. During the years I have been working with him, he has read more
texts of mine than he would probably like to remember. His critical
remarks and suggestions have always considerably improved the final
result.
It has been a great privilege to stay several months at Utrecht Uni-
versity, where I had the opportunity to discuss my work with several
members of the staff, which has led to thorough correction and revi-
sion.IamespeciallyindebtedtoK.Algra,whowentthroughthewhole
manuscript and discussed it with me chapter by chapter. I have bene-
fitedgreatlyfromhisacuteobservationsandpertinentcriticisms,which
often forced me to clarify my argument or give it up. J. Mansfeld like-
wise spent many hours carefully reading the whole manuscript and I
have been glad to adopt many of his helpful suggestions. I am sure
both will recognise their positive influence throughout the book and
they will perhaps remain wisely sceptical about those points where my
stubbornnesshasnotbeenovercomebytheirarguments.
I am much indebted to A. Casanova, W. Evenepoel, P.H. Schrijvers,
and T. van Houdt, who read substantial parts of an earlier draft of this
bookandespeciallytoM.Erlerwhoreadthewholeofit.Theyallsaved
mefrommanyembarrassingerrorsandmadeextremelyvaluable,often
challenging, suggestions. I also owe many thanks to C. Steel, who drew
my attention to several interesting passages which I would otherwise
haveoverlookedandwhoindirectlycontributedmoretothisbookthan
he probably realises himself. I am also much indebted to M. Funk
Deckard and to the referee of the series for many useful suggestions
andcorrections.