Epicurus. Delivering the human soul from suffering
Epicurus was born in January or February 341 BC, and lived in his youth on Samos and Teos. His father was most likely a school teacher. Epicurus turned to philosophy at the age of 14, when, as a teacher of literature, he read the works of Democritus. His teacher in philosophy was the Democritus follower Nausiphanes. Epicurus became a teacher of philosophy at the age of 32, first in Mytilene and Lampsacus, then, beginning in 307, in Athens, where he founded his own school. The school was located in Epicurus’ garden, which is why it was called “the Garden”, and Epicurus’ followers “philosophers from the gardens”.