Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

"From the revenues accruing from the property given by us to Amynomachus and Timocrates, let them, taking counsel with Hermarchus, make apportionment as far as possible for the funeral offerings to my father, mother, and brothers, and for ourselves on the birthday customary to be kept each year on the tenth day before the end of Gamelion (the twentieth of Gamelion), as also for the gathering held on the twentieth of each month by our fellow-philosophers, appointed in memory of us and of Metrodorus. Let them also celebrate the day of my brothers in Poseideon, and let them celebrate the day of Polyaenus in Metageitnion, just as we also did.

"And let Amynomachus and Timocrates take care of Epicurus, the son of Metrodorus, and of the son of Polyaenus, while they study philosophy and live together with Hermarchus. Likewise let them take care of the daughter of Metrodorus, and when she comes of age, let them give her in marriage to whomever Hermarchus shall choose from among those who study philosophy with him, provided that she is well-behaved and obedient to Hermarchus. And let Amynomachus and Timocrates give for maintenance to these, out of the revenues belonging to us, whatever amount seems to them year by year to be admissible, after taking counsel with Hermarchus.

"Let them also make Hermarchus joint-master of the revenues with themselves, so that each matter may be transacted with the man who has grown old together with us in philosophy and has been left as leader of our fellow-philosophers. And for the female child, when she comes of age, let Amynomachus and Timocrates apportion as dowry whatever amount may be admissible, subtracting it from our existing property with the consent of Hermarchus. Let them also take care of Nicanor, just as we did, so that all those of our fellow-philosophers who provided help in private affairs and demonstrated every affection, choosing to grow old with us in philosophy, may lack none of the necessities within our power.

"And all the books belonging to us are to be given to Hermarchus. "If anything human happens to Hermarchus (if he dies) before the children of Metrodorus come of age, let Amynomachus and Timocrates provide, as long as they are well-behaved, that each of the necessities be supplied as far as possible from the revenues left by us. And let them take care of all the other matters as we have ordered, so that each may be carried out as far as practicable. And of my slaves I set free Mys, Nicias, and Lycon; I also set Phaedrium free."

​Now when he was dying, he wrote the following letter to Idomeneus: "Spending this blessed and at the same time last day of our life, we write this to you. Strangury and dysenteric affections have set in, leaving behind no excess in their internal magnitude. But against all these things stands arrayed the joy in our soul at the memory of the reasonings we have made. Do you, in a manner worthy of your disposition toward me and philosophy from youth, take care of the children of Metrodorus." And such was his will. He had many disciples, but exceedingly distinguished was Metrodorus of Lampsacus, son of Athenaeus (or Timocrates) and Sande; who, from the time he became acquainted with the man, did not leave him except for six months on a visit to his home, and then returned.

​He was thoroughly good in all respects, as Epicurus also testifies in his earlier writings and in the third book of his Timocrates. Being such a man, he also gave his sister Batis in marriage to Idomeneus, and taking Leontion, the Attic courtesan, had her as his concubine. He was also undaunted both by annoyances and by death, as Epicurus says in the first book of his Metrodorus. They say that he died seven years before Epicurus, in his fifty-third year, and Epicurus himself in the aforementioned will, since Metrodorus had evidently died before him, gives instructions concerning the care of his children. He also had the aforementioned brother Timocrates, who was a rather reckless man.