“Philosophy, which teaches us how to limit our desires, is better than rhetoric, which helps us to satisfy them.“—Philodemus Do you agree or disagree? Drop a 👍 or 👎. For #WorldPhilosophyDay learn about the Epicurean philosopher and poet Philodemus. Many of his works were preserved in Herculaneum’s ancient Villa dei Papiri. Philodemus was born in Gadara, (present-day Jordan), and lived from about 110–30 BC. He was educated at the Garden in Athens. The school recognized pleasure (hedone) as the greatest good, which Epicureans thought could be reached through tranquility (ataraxia) and freedom from pain (aponia). Epicureans promoted a life of moderation rather than excess. Philodemus later immigrated to Italy, and his texts are among the most important surviving evidence for Epicurean thought. Citation: Philodemus, II, 150, fr. VII