Theodorus the Atheist: Biography, Achievements & Lasting Legacy

Theodorus "the Atheist" (Ancient Greek: Θεόδωρος ὁ ἄθεος, romanized: Theódōros ho átheos; c. 340 – c. 250 BCE), of Cyrene, was a Greek philosopher of the Cyrenaic school. He lived in both Greece and Alexandria, before ending his days in his native city of Cyrene. As a Cyrenaic philosopher, he taught that the goal of life was to obtain joy and avoid grief, and that the former resulted from knowledge, and the latter from ignorance. However, his principal claim to fame was his alleged atheism. He was usually designated by ancient writers ho atheos (ὁ ἄθεος), "the atheist."