Hegesias of Cyrene

For other people named Hegesias, see Hegesias (disambiguation).
Ruins of Cyrene, in the northwest of modern Libya, where Hegesias lived.

Hegesias (Greek: Ἡγησίας; fl. 290 BC[1]) of Cyrene was a Cyrenaic philosopher. He argued that eudaimonia (happiness) is impossible to achieve, and that the goal of life should be the avoidance of pain and sorrow. Conventional values such as wealth, poverty, freedom, and slavery are all indifferent and produce no more pleasure than pain. Cicero claims that Hegesias wrote a book called ἀποκαρτερῶν (Death by Starvation), which persuaded so many people that death is more desirable than life that Hegesias was banned from teaching in Alexandria. It has been thought by some that Hegesias was influenced by Buddhist teachings.[2]

  1. ^ Dorandi 1999, p. 47.
  2. ^ Preus, Anthony (February 12, 2015). Historical Dictionary of Ancient Greek Philosophy. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442246393 – via Google Books.