Epicurus, whose father was a schoolteacher, was born on the island of Samos in Greece. When he was 14 years old, Epicurus started studying philosophy. At 18, he started his two years of military service in Athens which was required for Athenian citizenship. At Athens, he may have heard the philosophers Xenocrates (who succeeded Plato as head of his academy) and Aristotle, who was in Athens at the time.

For the next ten years, little is known about what Epicurus did. Many think he spent time traveling and studying, developing his own philosophy of life. When he was 32, Epicurus began to teach philosophy and started his own school, first at Mytilene and then at Lampsacus. In Mytilene, he gained his first follower, Hermarchus, who eventually succeeded Epicurus as the head of his school

Along with some of his followers, Epicurus returned to Athens in 306 B.C., where he bought a house and started a school called "The Garden." Unlike other schools in Athens, "The Garden" admitted women and even one of Epicurus' slaves. Other schools also in Athens at the time were Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum. Epicurus' teachings emphasized living an ethical life, as he believed happiness resulted from living simply, limiting human desires, and enjoying friendships. According to Epicurus, having a peaceful detachment from the world was necessary in order to achieve happiness. At the age of 72, Epicurus died of a painful disease, yet even in his pain, he still remained peaceful and serene. In the years following his death, many people continued to follow his philosophy until the 4th century A.D. Thee people became known as Epicureans.