True Wealth Lies in Friendship: Epicurus and Ho Kepos
Epicurus (341 BCE – 270 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher who thought the good life was essentially characterized by pleasure. Life is about feeling good, Epicurus thought, and so we should do things that make us feel good.
And by far and away the most important pleasure, Epicurus thinks, is ataraxia, literally meaning ‘not being troubled.’
"When we maintain that pleasure is the end [goal], we do not mean the pleasures of profligates and those that consist in sensuality, as is supposed by some who are either ignorant or disagree with us or do not understand, but freedom from pain in the body and from trouble in the mind."
- Epicurus
Epicurus taught that the good life isn’t found in chasing wealth or fame, but in cultivating lasting pleasures. Like freedom from pain, fear, and anxiety.
His ideal was ataraxia: a tranquil life rooted in friendship and simple joys.
Epicurus and his friends lived together 2,300 years ago just outside Athens in Ho Kepos (The Garden), the gate of which was inscribed, “Stranger, here you will do well to tarry; here our highest good is pleasure.”
They spent their days enjoying each other’s company, discussing philosophy, and not taking the world too seriously.
From heartfelt conversations to shared laughter that leaves us breathless, friendship offers some of life’s most effortless and enduring pleasures, Epicurus reminds us.
With friends, good days are always ahead. Their support is steady, their care unconditional. When we stumble, they lift us. When life grows heavy, they remind us we’re not alone.
"My kind friends will forgive me if, as a result of being a fool, I do something wrong. I in turn will gladly overlook their lapses."
- Horace, Poet of Ancient Rome
When we create lasting memories with those we love, we build a kind of wealth that only grows with time, a treasure untouched by life’s disruptions, always there when we need it most.