Many comments have been posted about on the nature of things. This edition which complements existing aris and phillips commentaries on books 3, 4 and 6 will help to make lucretius urgent and. Lucretius refers to memmius by name four times in the first book, three times in the second, five in the fifth, and not at all in the third, fourth, or sixth books. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. He faithfully reproduces the doctrines or epicurus. Apart from lucretius s poem almost nothing is known about him.
Lucretius progressive revelation of nature in drn 1. A bibliography of work on lucretius, 19451972 jstor. Book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi card. Giuffrida, l epicureismo nella letteratura latina nel i sec. Reissued to accompany stephen greenblatts the swerve. University of california press, 2008 the joan palevsky imprint in classical literature. Lucretius only extant work, written in dactylic hexameter, addressed to gaius memmius who became praetor in 58 bc and failed to be converted, written c. Little is known of his life, although two tantalizing bits of gossip were passed on by st. On the nature of things lucretius harvard university press. And we ourselves indeed to make this book, and still to seek the nature of the world and set it down, when once discovered, here in these my countrys leaves. Titus lucretius carus was probably born in the early first century b. Lucretius, a roman epicurean philosopher, who lived from approximately 99 to 55 bce, was its author. On the nature of things is a firstcentury bc didactic poem by the roman poet and philosopher lucretius c.
The poem explores lucretius belief about the gods, humanity, the senses, the world, and the universe, all through the philosophical framework of epicurus. The poem, written in some 7,400 dactylic hexameters. Drawing on the atomism theory of democritus, dating over 400 years prior to his masterwork, lucretius main aim with his. This paper argues that the former organizations scheme derives. A volume which no student of lucretius, of the classics, of philosophic literature can afford to ignore. Kreyol ayisyen latina latviesu lietuviu lumbaart magyar. In six books compounded of solid reasoning, brilliant imagination, and noble poetry, he expounds the scientific theories of the greek philosopher epicurus, with the aim of dispelling fear of the gods and fear.
This is the first commentary to take account of the remarkable discoveries and reevaluations in the field of hellenistic philosophy over the past thirty years, which have been stimulated by the publication of many more. Drawing upon this materialist philosophy, lucretius cites the fear of death as the cause of mans ills, and shows the way to freedom from that fear. This dangerous text argued that religion led men astray from the true nature of things, i. On the nature of things work by lucretius britannica. The title of lucretius s work translates that of the chief work of epicurus, peri physeos on nature. In it, he set out to explicate the universe, embracing and refuting ideas of the great greek philosophers. The poem, written in dactylic hexameter, is divided into six books, and concentrates heavily on epicurean physics. Now available in paperback, this annotated scholarly edition of the latin text ofde rerum naturahas long been hailed as one of the finest. In six books compounded of solid reasoning, brilliant imagination, and noble poetry, he expounds the scientific theories of the greek. Lucretius, on the nature of things loeb classical library.
The poem takes the form of a detailed exposition of epicurean physical theory an extreme materialism designed to remove and discredit popular fears of the gods, death and an afterlife. The internet classics archive on the nature of things by. It also alludes to his ethical and logical doctrines life. This book represents the primary source of modern knowledge on epicurean thought, and it played an important role in the development of atomism. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Edited by william ellery leonard and stanley barney smith. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. Mourners, the elderly, nature and memmius raise their voices to debate the issue of mortality. Titus lucretius carus was a roman poet and philosopher. Once more, if nature should of a sudden send a voice abroad, and her own self inveigh against us so.
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