Cicerone, Tusculane, V,94 e il fr. 62 Us. di Epicuro

Notes on Epicurus’ fr. 62 US. συνουσίη ωνησε μὲν ουδέποτε, αγαπητον δ’ ει μη εβλαψε and CIC. Tusc. V,94 genus hoc voluptatum optabile esse, si non obsit, prodesse numquam. The usual translation of CIC. Tusc. V,94, “This kind of pleasure is desirable, unless it does one harm”, is wrong. The right one is: “It would be desirable if this kind of pleasures did one no harm”. So, despite current opinion, Cicero’s translation of the Epicurean sentence αγαπητον δ’ ει μη εβλαψε is perfectly sound.