7 moments

1. Birth on Samos

   0341-01-01 BC · Samos, Greece

   

   Epicurus was born in the Athenian settlement on Samos. This island upbringing was the starting point of his life before his later movements to Athens and Asia Minor. The source supports February 341 BC; the atlas date retains year precision because the required date format does not provide a BCE month format.

2. Athenian military service

   0323-01-01 BC · Athens, Greece

   

   At eighteen Epicurus went to Athens and performed compulsory military duty, his first documented presence in the city that would later become the center of his school. The ancient biographical tradition places his arrival at age eighteen; this reference dates that arrival to 323 BC.

3. Rejoining his family at Colophon

   0321-01-01 BC · Colophon, Ionia, Türkiye

   After completing his period of service, Epicurus joined his displaced family at Colophon, where he spent the following decade developing his philosophical views. The coordinate marks the archaeological site of ancient Colophon near modern Değirmendere.

4. First teaching at Mytilene

   0311-01-01 BC · Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece

   

   Epicurus began teaching at Mytilene, initiating the independent teaching career that developed into the Epicurean school. The source qualifies the date as around 311 BC.

5. Teaching community at Lampsacus

   0310-01-01 BC · Lampsacus, Hellespont, Türkiye

   

   Epicurus moved to Lampsacus after leaving Mytilene. There he assembled disciples and patrons before relocating the school to Athens. The coordinate represents ancient Lampsacus, at the site associated with modern Lapseki.

6. Return to Athens and the Garden

   0306-01-01 BC · Athens, Greece

   

   Epicurus returned to Athens, founded the Garden, and made the city the enduring base of his philosophical community and teaching. The source dates the return circa 306 BC; city coordinates are used because the precise location of the Garden is uncertain.

7. Death in Athens

   0270-01-01 BC · Athens, Greece

   

   Epicurus died in Athens after roughly three and a half decades based there as founder and teacher of the Garden. Ancient chronological traditions differ slightly on the year of death; this card follows the date given by the source.