Why live life unnoticed

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Author: Geert Roskam. Against the background of age-old Greek wisdom, Epicurus' advice to 'live unnoticed' lathe biosas was particularly provocative and scandalous. Why, after all, would an unknown Greek soldier in Agamemnon's army have been happier than famous Achilles? Or why should an ordinary Athenian be regarded as more blessed and enviable than Pericles? Yet Epicurus' ideal was far from unattractive, guaranteeing as it did a quiet and untroubled existence far from the dangerous turmoil of public life.

This book casts new light on Epicurus' socio-political philosophy through a careful analysis of his arguments. It also shows how the ideal of an 'unnoticed life' was received during the later history of Epicureanism and how it occasionally occurs in ancient Latin poetry. Copyright Year: E-Book PDF. Login via Institution. Prices from excl. VAT :. View PDF Flyer. Contents About. By: G. Pages: 29— Pages: 67— Pages: 83— Pages: — Biographical Note Geert Roskam , Ph.

All those interested in Hellenistic philosophy, in the history of Epicureanism, in Latin poetry, and in Motivgeschichte, as well as classical philologists and philosophers.

Save Cite Email this content Share link with colleague or librarian You can email a link to this page to a colleague or librarian:. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. Classical Studies. What's the reason for Enoch's inclusion among men like Noah and Abraham and Moses?

I have a theory: like Enoch, we will live unnoticed. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that we won't have influence or that people will ignore us. I simply mean that the majority of Christians will never make their way into history books.

We'll only have a small following on Twitter Facebook. Most of us won't have a million people reading our blogs, and when we die, apart from a loyal circle of family and close friends, the details of our lives will be largely forgotten by those who knew us.

Are you discouraged by that reality? Be honest: it's tempting to think that we can't make a difference. It's easy to think that who we are, what we believe, and how we live won't impact others. Aren't we just biological blips on the huge universal radar of space and time?

Enoch's story of faith challenges our pessimistic view of meaning and purpose. Here's what Hebrews says: "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. Even though we know nothing about this man, his brief mention in Hebrews 11 confronts us with the reality that God notices and cares.

The only way that God could have been pleased by Enoch's life was if he took notice of it, and the only reason God would have taken notice is because he cared. This means that Enoch's life, however "insignificant" in human terms, was far from meaningless. How could there be a life more meaningful than one that is noticed by and commended by the Lord of heaven and earth? You see, Enoch's story of faith tells us that ultimate meaning and purpose is not found in political power, cultural influence, historical prominence or the accumulation of wealth.

You can have all of these things and still be plagued by feelings of meaninglessness. The only place to find contentment-producing, peace-inducing meaning and purpose is in vertical relationship with God. Enoch's story teaches us that in God's eyes, none of his children are little and unnoticed. There's something else that needs to be said about the meaningfulness of Enoch's life, because we actually have a quote that came from the mouth of this little-known man.

It's a prophecy about God's judgment against evil, found in Jude This quote, from a man we know so little about historically, tells us everything we need to know about his heart morally: Enoch cared deeply about right and wrong.