Book 2, Chapter 7

“Epicurus, on the other hand, says things that seem to me intended to raise a laugh. In one passage he declares that if the wise man is burned, if he is tortured—you are perhaps expecting him to say, ‘He will endure it, bear it through, never give way.’ A great tribute, by Hercules, and worthy of Hercules himself, by whom I have just sworn! But for Epicurus, that hard and rugged man, this is not enough. If the wise man is inside the bull of Phalaris, he will say, ‘How pleasant this is! How little I care about it!’ Pleasant, too? Is it not enough if it is not bitter? Even those who deny that pain is an evil do not ordinarily say that being tortured is pleasant for anyone. They call it harsh, difficult, hateful, contrary to nature, yet not an evil. But this man, who calls pain the only evil and the utmost of all evils, thinks the wise man will pronounce it pleasant.

18 “I do not ask you to describe pain in the same terms that Epicurus uses for pleasure—a sensualist, as you know. Let him say the same thing in Phalaris’s bull as he would in his own bed. I do not credit wisdom with such power over pain. If a man bears it bravely, he has done his duty; I do not ask him to rejoice as well. It is unquestionably a grim thing, harsh, bitter, hostile to nature, difficult to endure and sustain.

“Look at Philoctetes: we must allow him his groans.

19 “He had seen Hercules himself on Oeta crying out under the enormity of his pain. So the arrows he had received from Hercules brought him no comfort when

“‘From the viper’s bite, the veins within his flesh,“‘Steeped in poison, stir up hideous torments.’

“And so he cries out, seeking help, longing for death:

“‘Ah, who will fling me into the salt waves“‘From the high summit of a rock?“‘Now, now I am consumed; my life is crushed“‘By the wound’s force, the ulcer’s burning heat.’

“It seems hard to say that a man forced to cry out like that is not suffering an evil, and a great one.”

“I can only think Epicurus is aiming for laughs with remarks like these. In one passage he makes an assertion about a wise man undergoing burning and torture. Perhaps you’re waiting for, ‘He’ll put up with it; he’ll hold out; he won’t give way.’ Hercules! That would be a wonderful tribute, one worthy of the god Hercules I’ve just invoked. Not enough, though, for a man as rough and tough as Epicurus. Put the wise man inside the bull of Phalaris, and his words will be, ‘This feels wonderful! It doesn’t bother me at all!’ Wonderful as well? Wouldn’t it do if it simply weren’t bitter? People who won’t count pain as a bad thing don’t normally describe torture as enjoyable for anyone. Their descriptions are harsh, difficult, hateful, unnatural—but not bad. Here, by contrast, is someone for whom pain alone is bad, and bad to the greatest possible degree; yet he thinks a wise man will describe the experience as enjoyable.

18 “I’m not asking you to describe pain in the same terms Epicurus uses for pleasure. As you know, he’s devoted to pleasure. Let him say the same thing inside Phalaris’ bull that he’d say in a comfortable bed. I don’t give wisdom that much power against pain. If someone bears up bravely, he’s done his duty. I don’t ask him to enjoy it too. Pain is certainly a grim thing: harsh, bitter, hostile to nature, and difficult to suffer and endure.

“Look at Philoctetes. We have to allow him his groans.

19 “He had watched Hercules himself on Oeta, screaming under the weight of his suffering. The arrows Hercules had given him could offer Philoctetes no comfort at that moment: “‘After the viper bit, the veins within his flesh, “‘Soaked in its poison, set off hideous agonies.’ “He shouts for someone to help him; what he wants is death: “‘Oh, someone throw me to the salt waves “‘From a rock’s high summit! “‘Now, now I’m dying; my life gives out “‘Under this wound’s attack, this burning sore.’ “Faced with cries like that, it’s hard, it seems, to deny that the man is in trouble—and very serious trouble.”