Participants' Epicurean Book and Artifact Collections

Hello! I am happy to see you are doing well. Thank you for your questions.

As we know, many Greek city-states issued their own currency, but often recognized the currency of other cities. Athenian coins had a good reputation and were recognized and used from the western Mediterranean to deep into the East. Yet, even in Athens, coins from other cities would be accepted as valid. Their metal quality and content was frequently tested, allowing for accuracy in conversions. This means there are many different coins that Epicurus may very well have seen throughout his life. Some, such as the famous Glaukes, are coins his grandparents would have been familiar with; others are new types that were issued, most often by the Diadochoi, during his lifetime.

Only around half of these coins are types that were issued before 270 BC - but they are all Greek or Roman (except for the out-of-place Mjölnir), I have tried twice to purchase a denarius issued by Lucius Lucretius Trio, from two different sellers. Both times it has been "lost in the mail," I have not allowed this to make me superstitious. All the coins are reproductions, I use ebay, and try not to pay more than $4 for each one. Greece and Turkey produce exact reproductions, other countries often mark their coins to stay in line with counterfeiting laws.

The bits of scrolls are also reproduction. I just print out PHercs (https://tinyurl.com/yysnaemw), cut them into the surviving pieces and put them in a frame. I think it is a good look.

The Infula (1.87) is of course a religious headdress for sacrificing. It is a thick band of twisted red and white wool, wrapped around the forehead several times and then tied behind the head, with the free ends hanging forward over the shoulders onto the chest. It was worn on the forehead by priests and priestesses during official religious activities AND ALSO put on animal victims as their sacrificial headband. As soon as this influla was put on Īphiánassa's head (in contrast to the vitta, the matrimonial headband, that she expected) she knew that the gathering was not for a wedding but for a sacrifice. She was not a priestess trained to perform sacrifices... and therefore could conclude that she was the offering.

Many amusing things can be said about the Thyrsus (DRN 1.923). Many amusing things can be done with the Thyrsus. I use mine mostly to hit people who try to distract me from studying Epicurus.

Great stuff, Bryan! When I was invested in Buddhism I had a meditation altar as the centerpiece of my living room. A seated statue of the Kamakura Buddha held pride of place, and the altar was adorned with candles, dried leaves, pine cones, and stones that bore memories of my travels.

On the first shelf down from this six foot long altar was the assorted tea service, and below that were the various books of Eastern religion and philosophy. Sitting on the floor just below the bottom shelf were the tea tray with folding legs, and the zafu and the zabuton for seated meditation.

At some indeterminate point after a handful of years, all that went---and the new centerpiece of my living room was a large curvaceous wood hammock stand modified for use of a Brazilian-style hammock. And so flourished my Epicureanism!

That really sounds nice. I suppose I may not be doing too well in supporting the Fact that Epicureanism is definitely not a cult, but... the more busts the better... right?

I discovered Epicurus while reading Cicero in a hammock in my garden.... There's something quite nice about reading that way. Mostly being in nature, but the repose aids significantly.

In retrospect, being relaxed in nature may have heightened the BS meter of my faculties. I'd been reading Eastern and Stoic philosophy there over a period of months but somehow they didn't "click". Reading Epicurus in that environment somehow made perfect sense of the things that I'd been struggling with.

But I digress. I don't have a book and artifact collection, but I do have a garden and a hammock.

I've posted this before but figured this was appropriate here, too. These are my two Epicurean keychains: 1 with 4 wooden beads for the Tetrapharmakos; one with SFOTSE (Sic fac omnia tamquam spectet Epicurus "Do all things as if Epicurus were watching") with three beads for both physics, canon, and ethics or sensations, pathē, and prolepseis (take your pick )

That is great! Have we found "SFOTSE" being used in the Roman period? Seneca was popular, and it became a well known phrase. The Romans really DID make every common saying into an acronym, so perhaps even the use of the acronym is ancient. This pendant (https://etsy.me/33JADwQ) has the full, classic "Sic fac omnia tamquam spectet Epicurus." Thank you for sharing. SFOTSE!

Don, I quite like that.

Except for the One Ring. That belongs in a museum the fiery chasms of Orodruin!

Quote from Joshua

Don, I quite like that.

Except for the One Ring. That belongs in a museum the fiery chasms of Orodruin!

LOL! You noticed! Ash nazg durbatuluk...

For anyone else interested where it comes from. I haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere unfortunately.

Quote from Bryan

Have we found "SFOTSE" being used in the Roman period? Seneca was popular, and it became a well known phrase

Moral letters to Lucilius/Letter 25 - Wikisource, the free online library

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I must insert in this letter one or two more of his sayings:[2] 5. "Do everything as if Epicurus were watching you." There is no real doubt that it is good for one to have appointed a guardian over oneself, and to have someone whom you may look up to, someone whom you may regard as a witness of your thoughts. It is, indeed, nobler by far to live as you would live under the eyes of some good man, always at your side; but nevertheless I am content if you only act, in whatever you do, as you would act if anyone at all were looking on; because solitude prompts us to all kinds of evil.

Epistulae morales ad Lucilium/Liber III - Wikisource

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ait Epicurus, cuius aliquam vocem huic epistulae involvam. [5] 'Sic fac' inquit 'omnia tamquam spectet Epicurus.' Prodest sine dubio custodem sibi imposuisse et habere quem respicias, quem interesse cogitationibus tuis iudices. Hoc quidem longe magnificentius est, sic vivere tamquam sub alicuius boni viri ac semper praesentis oculis, sed ego etiam hoc contentus sum, ut sic facias quaecumque facies tamquam spectet aliquis: omnia nobis mala solitudo persuadet.

I’ve been looking for that ring…Saruman the White told me to use the palantir to find it. Expect the Nine to arrive soon.

Quote from Matt

I’ve been looking for that ring…Saruman the White told me to use the palantir to find it. Expect the Nine to arrive soon.

No one gets my preciouss. Nasty Sarumans can't haves its but the Eyes is always watching us, isn't he, my precious.