They are certainly not scripture, but belong on a shelf above philosophy. Lucretius begins by invoking the name of venus as a creative force, appealing to memmius to whom the. Ancient understandings of the cosmos, evolution, atoms, mans place in the animal kingdom, that are spot on. On the nature of things lucretius, martin ferguson smith. Then throughout seas and mountains and sweeping torrents and the leafy dwellings of birds and verdant plains, striking alluring love into the breasts of all creatures, you cause them greedily to beget their generations after their kind. Titus lucretius carus was a roman poet and philosopher. Lucretius has been credited with originating the concept. Jun 26, 2011 if you really want to understand the text, id go for the one with the best and fullest notes, rather than focusing on the ease of the translation. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. We now move from physics to, what should i call it, neurology. Lucretius is a really difficult text and you need a translation that will point out his sources and what hes doing with them.
Apr, 2016 chinas strategy against trump and america. I care about clarity and ease of reading more than accuracy or aesthetics. Many comments have been posted about on the nature of things. 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. The poem is the fullest extant statement of the physical theory of the greek philosopher epicurus. Anthony esolen fills that gap with a version that reproduceswith remarkable faithfulnessthe meaning, pace, and tone of the original latin. It also alludes to his ethical and logical doctrines. Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. It features an introduction to lucretiuss life and work by william ellery leonard, an introduction to and commentary on the poem by stanley barney smith, the complete. My main goal is to understand epicurean philosophy, though of course it would be nice if it sounded good too.
Epicureanism was a missionary philospohy, aiming to give man happiness by making him selfsufficient. Titus lucretius carus was probably born in the early first century b. Study science in order to rid yourself of unneccesary fears, especially of the gods and death. Mar 09, 2001 martin ferguson smiths work on lucretius is both well known and highly regarded. On the nature of things is a firstcentury bc didactic poem by the roman poet and philosopher lucretius c. Lucretius regarded him as the spiritual savior of mankind. Lucretius, lucretius and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Lucretius believed in the theory of atomism which lead to materialistic thinking and how atomism affects how one should view the purpose of life especially at the end of ones life. Jul 26, 2007 buy the nature of things penguin classics new ed. The poem, written in dactylic hexameter, is divided into six books, and concentrates heavily on epicurean physics.
The poem, written in some 7,400 dactylic hexameters, is divided into six untitled books, and explores epicurean physics through poetic. 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. And for the rest, summon to judgments true, unbusied ears and singleness of mind withdrawn from cares. This book is the 449th greatest fiction book of all time as determined by. Readers will share our excitement in the discovery of this accurate and fluent prose rendering. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. Lucretius catalogus translationum et commentariorum. Within this paper, there is regularly being referred to the. Titus lucretius quotes 15 science quotes dictionary of. This work is licensed under a creative commons attributionsharealike 3.
American thought leaders the epoch times 342,596 views. Once more, if nature should of a sudden send a voice abroad, and her own self inveigh against us so. Lucretius on human history this world is the product of nature, things colliding into. Lucretius on human history this world is the product of. Home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help.
Titus lucretius carus was a roman poet and philosopher over 2050 years ago. Until now, there has been no adequate english verse translation of lucretiuss work. Lucretius, on the nature of things loeb classical library. Little is known of his life, although two tantalizing bits of gossip were passed on by st. Book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi card. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. This book represents the primary source of modern knowledge on epicurean thought, and it played an important role in the development of atomism. The internet classics archive on the nature of things by. Smiths translation of the six book work was first published in england in 1969 and reissued, with revisions, in the united states in 2001. On the nature of things work by lucretius britannica. 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 latin text of lucretius latin and english edition by lucretius, william ellery leonard, et al. Lucretius begins by invoking the name of venus as a creative force, appealing. Commentary references to this page 3 john conington, commentary on vergils aeneid, volume 1, 1. A word cloud of the leonard translation of lucretius the nature of things. 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. People ancient rome resources for ancient biblical. 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. Martin ferguson smiths work on lucretius is both well known and highly regarded. 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 title of lucretiuss work translates that of the chief work of epicurus, peri physeos on nature. Latin, perhaps a penguin translation would be a better idea, but if you are able to appreciate the original metric the translation is in prose, buy this book. For this edition, professor smith provides a revised translation, new introduction, headnotes and bibliography. Perpetual rounds versus fixed states in book 3, lucretius offers several. This elegant new translation at last restores the poetry to one of the greatest and most influential poems in the western tradition.
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