Epicureanism was a missionary philospohy, aiming to give man happiness by making him selfsufficient. Lucretius on human history this world is the product of nature, things colliding into. In it, he set out to explicate the universe, embracing and refuting ideas of the great greek philosophers. This elegant new translation at last restores the poetry to one of the greatest and most influential poems in the western tradition. Its entries compare different translations, and there appears to be an entry for lucretius. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer perseus any modifications you make. The improbable story of how it reemerged, and how the mindset it advocated informs our present, is the subject of the swerve. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. Lucretius begins by invoking the name of venus as a creative force, appealing to memmius to whom the. The poem explores lucretius belief about the gods, humanity, the senses, the world, and the universe, all through the philosophical framework of epicurus.
Lucretius on human history this world is the product of nature. Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. For this edition, professor smith provides a revised translation, new introduction, headnotes and. It is sweet, when winds trouble the waters on the great sea, to behold from land the distress of others, not because it is a pleasure that any should be afflicted, but because it is sweet to see from what evils you are yourself exempt. Now available in paperback, this annotated scholarly edition of the latin text ofde rerum naturahas long been hailed as one of.
Martin ferguson smiths work on lucretius is both well known and highly regarded. It is an epic philosophical work about the beliefs of epicureanism there are not any details about his life. On the nature of things work by lucretius britannica. Book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi card. Lucretius simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Study science in order to rid yourself of unneccesary fears, especially of the gods and death. The title of lucretiuss work translates that of the chief work of epicurus, peri physeos on nature.
How the world became modern norton, a new book by cogan university professor and noted shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatt, to be published in september. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. 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. These set the stage for his explanation of the diversity of bodies. Mar 09, 2001 martin ferguson smiths work on lucretius is both well known and highly regarded. On the nature of the universe is a didactic epic poem.
This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3. The introduction itself is for the most part unchanged updates appear in three notes but the section. Lucretius, lucretius and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. I dont have an answer and its been ages since i read lucretius, but i can recommend the encyclopedia of literary translation into english as a possible source for an answer. 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. Lucretius, on the nature of things loeb classical library. Readers will share our excitement in the discovery of this accurate and fluent prose rendering. This study guide consists of approximately 68 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of on the nature of things.
Paul friedlander, american journal of philology 1945. The third book of lucretius great poem on the workings of the universe is devoted entirely to expounding the implications of epicurus dictum that death does not matter, is nothing to us. On the nature of things is a firstcentury bc didactic poem by the roman poet and philosopher lucretius c. But of course i admire lucretius and his predecessor, epicurus and his predecessor because he really buckled down and looked out at the world, and inside himself, and showed in his logic the possible fortitude of the human mind. From this desire first trickles into the heart a drop of venus honeyed joy, succeeded soon by chilly. 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.
The poem, written in dactylic hexameter, is divided into six books, and concentrates heavily on epicurean physics. Lucretius regarded him as the spiritual savior of mankind. His birth date is not certain, and little is known of his parentage or birthplace. This book is the 449th greatest fiction book of all time as determined by. Lucretius has been credited with originating the concept. The poem, written in some 7,400 dactylic hexameters, is divided into six untitled books, and explores epicurean physics through poetic.
At six books and some 7,400 lines of latin, laden with allusion. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. This is the best available introductory textbook for the study of lucretius. Mathematical and scientific and miscalculations in lucretius. I have found other editions to be either too abridged, or too advanced in their expectations of the students ability with latin. Jun 26, 2011 i dont have an answer and its been ages since i read lucretius, but i can recommend the encyclopedia of literary translation into english as a possible source for an answer. On the nature of things lucretius, martin ferguson smith. Home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help. Though often referred to as lucretius, his official name is titus lucretius carus. 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. 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 of death and so enabling man to attain peace of mind and happiness. Mathematical and scientific and miscalculations in. O you who first amid so great a darkness were able to address to epicurus raise aloft a light so clear, illumining the blessings of life, you i follow, o glory of the grecian race, a and now on the marks you have left i plant my own footsteps firm, not so much desiring to be your rival, as for love, because i yearn to copy you. I have translated from my own text published in the bibliotheca oxoniensi.