Britannica Sources used in this answer

Who was allowed to join Epicurus’s Garden school?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Bronze bust of Epicurus with a full beard and draped clothing, displayed on a round inscribed base at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. — Epicureanism Epicurus, bronze bust from a Greek original, c. 280–270 bce; in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.

Unlike many other philosophical schools of the time, Epicurus’s Garden school in Athens was notably inclusive. It admitted both women and enslaved people, such as a slave named Mouse, into its community.1

This approach distinguished the school from other prominent institutions like the Academy of Plato and the Lyceum of Aristotle, which primarily focused on theoretical students and those interested in public life. By welcoming a diverse range of individuals, Epicurus fostered a community centered on a shared way of life, friendship, and the pursuit of simple pleasures rather than traditional academic or political status.1