The Art of Happiness (Penguin Classics)

This volume collects the surviving writings of Epicurus, the influential ancient Greek philosopher whose teachings on life, death, religion, science, physical sensation, happiness, morality, and friendship shaped thought throughout the Mediterranean world and later influenced European philosophy. Despite centuries of opposition after his death, Epicurus attracted admirers including Thomas Hobbes, Thomas Jefferson, Karl Marx, and Isaac Newton. The collection includes Epicurus's letters, doctrines, and Vatican sayings, alongside parallel passages from Lucretius—a major exponent of Epicurean philosophy—and extracts from Diogenes Laertius' Life of Epicurus. An introductory essay explains Epicurean philosophy, and Daniel Klein, author of Travels with Epicurus, provides a foreword. Published as part of the Penguin Classics series, which has offered authoritative editions of classic literature for over sixty-five years with introductions, notes, and translations by distinguished scholars and award-winning translators.