Seneca the Younger (a Roman Stoic; born in Cordoba, modern-day Spain) criticised Epicureans in his writing.
[St. Paul and Epicurus](http://epicurism.github.io/epicurism.info/etexts/stpaulandepicurus.html) by Norman Wentworth DeWitt (1876-1958) is a fascinating read. It was published in 1954.
This topic is of particular interest because I am working on an idea to create a [foundation in memory of Epicurus](https://www.hokepos.org), with residency opportunities in two villages on the southern coast of Iberia (one in Algarve and the other in Andalusia).
I’m trying to discover any evidence which might exist of ancient communities of Epicureans in modern-day Spain or Portugal. I have learned that very recent discoveries have been made about the [Roman city of Balsa, near Tavira](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balsa_(Roman_town)).
Does anyone know if any pre-Christian/pre-Islamic communities of Epicureans lived in the Iberian peninsula? Unfortunately I don’t know Portuguese, so I have difficulty searching online in Portuguese sources.
1 comment
I doubt that anyone could answer that question.
Concerns about the philosophical differences between Stoicism and Epicureanism would be something of relevance to the Roman Imperial elite, like Seneca, who might have been born in Cordoba, but who was a Roman aristocrat.
In Hispania/Ibeira, maybe the provincial elite would have some interest in copying whatever the Imperial elite would do, but how would we know? Stoicism is not a religion, it’s a philosophy of how to live life.
Perhaps the only places that would have answers for you would be ecclesiastic records, because the church adopted a number of stoic ideals. But where would you start your research?
Yours is an interesting pursuit. Good luck, and if you find some answers, please give us an update.
Cheers!