Philodemus

Philodemus
Bornc. 110 BC
Diedc. 40 or 35 BC
EraHellenistic philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolEpicureanism
Main interests
Atomism, ethics, history, poetry, rhetoric
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox philosopher with unknown parameter "influences"
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox philosopher with unknown parameter "influenced"

Philodemus of Gadara (Greek: Φιλόδημος ὁ Γαδαρεύς, Philodēmos, "love of the people"; c. 110 – prob. c. 40 or 35 BC) was an Epicurean philosopher[1] and poet. He studied under Zeno of Sidon in Athens, before moving to Rome, and then to Herculaneum. He was once known chiefly for his poetry preserved in the Greek Anthology, but since the 18th century, many writings of his have been discovered among the charred papyrus rolls at the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum. The task of excavating and deciphering these rolls is difficult, and work continues to this day. The works of Philodemus so far discovered include writings on ethics, theology, rhetoric, music, poetry, and the history of various philosophical schools. Ethel Ross Barker suggested in 1908 that he was owner of the Villa of the Papyri Library.[2]

  1. ^ Fitzgerald, John (1996-02-01). Friendship, Flattery, and Frankness of Speech: Studies on Friendship in the New Testament World. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-26728-2.
  2. ^ Ethel Ross Barker (1908). "Buried Herculaneum".