Many comments have been posted about on the nature of things. In book 3 he expounds the nature and composition of mind and spirit, proves. And we ourselves indeed to make this book, and still to seek the nature of the world and set it down, when once. Now available in paperback, this annotated scholarly edition of the latin text ofde rerum naturahas long been hailed as one of the finest. It explores the world from an epistemological perspectivepossibly the earliest form of scientific inquiry that attempts to divorce itself from religious or other metaphysical beliefs.
On the nature of things, 1951 prose translation by r. This sumptuous account of a secular cosmos argues that the soul is mortal, that pleasure is the object of life, and that humanity has free will, among other ideas. Prepared from the sphere library book, translated martin ferguson smith 1969. Montaigne owned a latin edition published in paris, inby denis lambin which he heavily annotated. Paul friedlander, american journal of philology 1945 titus lucretius carus ca. Scholars have noted the seeming inconsistency in lucretius invoking venus at the beginning of. The internet classics archive on the nature of things by. The poem is divided into six books or sections and. Epicureanism was a missionary philospohy, aiming to give man happiness by making him selfsufficient. Free access to html textbooks is now available again and is being offered direct to higher education institutions. The improbable story of how it reemerged, and how the mindset it advocated informs our present, is the subject of the swerve.
It also alludes to his ethical and logical doctrines life. This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. 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. I used the translation of cyril bailey oxford, 1910, which is available. On the nature of things by lucretius, part of the internet classics archive. Home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help. Lucretius begins by invoking the name of venus as a creative force, appealing to memmius to whom the work is addressed, and then praising his master epicurus. A volume which no student of lucretius, of the classics, of philosophic literature can afford to ignore. On the nature of things is a firstcentury bc didactic poem by the roman poet and philosopher lucretius c.
The introduction itself is for the most part unchanged updates appear in three notes but the section. Apart from lucretiuss poem almost nothing is known about him. Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. In six books compounded of solid reasoning, brilliant imagination, and noble poetry, he expounds the scientific theories of the greek. The title of lucretiuss work translates that of the chief work of epicurus, peri physeos on nature. So far as one can tell, his rewriting of books was complete, but that. Lucretius, on the nature of things loeb classical library. On the nature of things by lucretius the internet classics archive. Gale, myth and poetry in lucretius cambridge university press, 1994, 1996 reprint, pp. Comprehensive commentary by cyril bailey, oxford university press 1947. The poem, written in some 7,400 dactylic hexameters, is divided into six untitled books, and explores epicurean physics through richly poetic language and metaphors. It also alludes to his ethical and logical doctrines. Latham, introduction and notes by john godwin, penguin revised edition 1994, isbn 0140446109.
In it, he set out to explicate the universe, embracing and refuting ideas of the great greek philosophers. Scholars have noted the seeming inconsistency in lucretius invoking venus at the beginning of a work that disclaims the gods involvement with human life. Henri bergson, the philosophy of poetry, the genius of lucretius translated and edited by wade. Once more, if nature should of a sudden send a voice abroad, and her own self inveigh against us so. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. After discussing the ways in which the lucretian persona presents himself as a teacher and interacts with his student memmius, the chapter focuses on the relationship of poetry and philosophy projected by. The poem, written in some 7,400 dactylic hexameters, is divided into six untitled books, and explores epicurean physics through poetic. Titus lucretius carus died mid to late 50s bce was an epicurean poet of the. Lucretius regarded him as the spiritual savior of mankind. I have translated from my own text published in the bibliotheca oxoniensi. Leonard and smith lucretius university of wisconsin press 1942. 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. Book iii deals with the soul, its nature, and its fate. It explores the world from an epistemological perspectivepossibly the earliest form of scientific inquiry that attempts to divorce itself from.
How the world became modern norton, a new book by cogan university professor and noted shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatt, to be published in september. Proem mother of rome, delight of gods and men, dear venus that beneath the gliding stars makest to teem the manyvoyaged main and fruitful lands for all of living things through thee alone are evermore conceived. On the nature of things work by lucretius britannica. 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 poem is the fullest extant statement of the physical theory of the greek philosopher epicurus.
Mother of aeneas and his race, darling of men and venus, aid me in my work gods, nurturing venus, a who beneath the smoothmoving heavenly signs fill with yourself the sea fullladen with ships, the earth that bears the crops, since through you every kind of living thing is conceived and rising up looks on the light of the sun. Lucretius only extant work, written in dactylic hexameter, addressed to gaius memmius who became praetor in 58 bc and failed to be converted. Study science in order to rid yourself of unneccesary fears, especially of the gods and death. Reissued to accompany stephen greenblatts the swerve. The end of book 3 8301094 shows that death, as dissolution of consciousness and personality, can hold no terrors, as only a subject, a conscious person can suffer. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. Please click here to go to our dedicated site for lucretius. Book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi card. This paper argues that the former organizations scheme derives. Lucretius on human history this world is the product of nature, things colliding into. The purpose of the poem is to free men from a sense of guilt and the fear of death by demonstrating that fear of the intervention of gods in this world and of punishment of the soul after death are groundless. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
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