> but pursuit of the former [ happiness ] is more of a modern conception ..

Not at all, Epicurus

     asserted that philosophy's purpose is to attain as well as to help others attain happy (eudaimonic), tranquil lives characterized by ataraxia (peace and freedom from fear) and aponia (the absence of pain).

    He advocated that people were best able to pursue philosophy by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends.

    He taught that the root of all human neuroses is denial of death and the tendency for human beings to assume that death will be horrific and painful, which he claimed causes unnecessary anxiety, selfish self-protective behaviors, and hypocrisy.

~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicurus