Note 2 — Chapter XIV · THE STOIC PHILOSOPHY AS A WHOLE AND ITS HISTORICAL POSITION.

A. Epicurus. Epicurus, the son of the Athenian Neocles,2 was born in Samos3 in the year 342 or 341 B.C.4 His early education appears to have been neglected;5 and his knowledge of previous philosophic systems was very superficial, even at the time when he first came forward as an independent teacher. Still he can hardly have been so entirely self-taught as he wished to appear at a later period in life. The names, at least, of the individuals are on record who instructed him in the systems of Democritus and Plato;6 and although it is by no means an ascertained fact that he subsequently attended the lectures of Xenocrates,7 on the occasion of a visit to Athens,8 no doubt can be felt that he was acquainted with the writings of previous philosophers, from whom he borrowed important parts of his system9 and more particularly with those of Democritus.