Epicurus’ Letters: Challenges of Distance Learning and Issues of Authenticity

The contribution analyzes Epicurus’ letters as a tool for distance learning and for strengthening cohesion within the Epicurean community. Through a comparison between the three doctrinal letters preserved by Diogenes Laertius and the fragmentary letters, the study shows how the epistolary genre enabled Epicurus to transmit doctrinal content, offer ethical guidance to distant φίλοι, and preserve the authoritative presence of the master. Particular attention is devoted to the issue of authenticity, the circulation of letters falsely attributed to Epicurus, and the arguments supporting the authenticity of debated fragments, including the Letter to the Mother.