Moving in space, the atoms originally were individual units, but inevitable they began to collide with each other, and in cases where their shapes were such as to permit them to interlock, they began to form clusters. Water, air, fire, and earth, these are simply different clusters of the changeless atoms.

By convention sweet is sweet, by convention bitter is bitter, by convention hot is hot, by convention cold is cold, by convention color is color. But in reality there are atoms and the void. That is, the objects of sense are supposed to be real and it is customary to regard them as such, but in truth they are not. Only the atoms and the void are real.

Hope of ill gain is the beginning of loss.

If you would know contentment, let your deeds be few.

To a wise and good man the whole earth is his fatherland.

Our sins are more easily remembered than our good deeds.

It is hard to fight desire; but to control it is the sign of a reasonable man.