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Titus Lucretius Carus (ca. 94 BC- ca. 49 BC) was a Roman poet and philosopher. His only work that we know of is the philosophical long poem De Rerum Natura, On the Nature of Things. Stylistically, most scholars attribute the full blossoming of Latin hexameter to Virgil. De Rerum Natura however, is of indisputable importance for its influence on Virgil and other later poets.
The main purpose of the work was to free men's minds of superstition and the fear of death. It achieves this through expounding the philosophical system of Epicurus, whom Lucretius immortalizes. Lucretius identifies superstition with the notion that the gods created our world or interfere with its operations in any way. Fear of such gods is banished by showing that the operations of the world can be accounted for entirely in terms of the purposeless motions of atoms through empty space, instead of in terms of the will of the gods. The fear of death is banished by showing that death is annihilation, and so, as a simple state of nothingness, death can be neither good nor bad. Lucretius also puts forward the 'symmetry argument' against the fear of death. In it, he says that people who fear the prospect of eternal non-existence after death should think back to the eternity of non-existence before their birth, which really wasn't so bad after all.
Lucretius compares his work as a poet to that of a doctor: just as a doctor may put honey on the rim of a cup containing bitter but healing medicine, so too Lucretius cloaks hard philosophical truths in sweet verse to make them go down more easily. De Rerum Natura faithfully transmits Epicurean physics and psychology. Lucretius was one of the first Epicureans to write in Latin.
More on [ Lucretius ]
Roman :: Classical Studies
Epicureanism :: Ancient
Constant dripping hollows out a stone. Lucretius
luvtomakeurich (John David) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:16:24 -0000
Constant dripping hollows out a stone. Lucretius
Constant dripping hollows out a stone. Lucretius
UrdreamsRhere (John Martin) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:07:18 -0000
Constant dripping hollows out a stone. Lucretius
Constant dripping hollows out a stone. Lucretius
JustGettNItDone (Matthew Martin) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:55:11 -0000
Constant dripping hollows out a stone. Lucretius
Be persistent during your search - don't be afraid to network,send,call,follow-up - "Constant dripping
De Rerum Natura - English translation of Lucretuis' philosophical poem.
Meta Description: [ Extracts from The Nature of Things by Lucretius (99-55 BCE) ]
De Rerum Natura - A Latin version of Lucretius' text De Rerum Natura
Engines of Our Ingenuity: Lucretius - Short broadcast about this philosopher by John H. Lienhard. Audio file available.
Meta Description: [ Lucretius and modern atomic theory, 2000 years too soon ]
Globed From The Atoms - Another poem by Lucretius.
Meta Description: [ Lucretius' poem, ]
Great Books: Lucretius - Essay about Lucretius' life, works and philosophical ideas.
Latin Authors: Lucretius - Article by William Harris, discussing Lucretius' poem and broader issues in the study of ancient science.
Meta Description: [ Lucretius had the courage to attempt the impossible: To write a summary of Greek scientific thought, in Latin, and in Poetry! ]
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Letters on Literature: Lucretius - Essay on Lucretius' philosophical work De Rerum Natura and its influence on religion.
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To the Rev. Geoffrey Martin, Oxford.
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Lucretius - Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy article by David Simpson. Extensive discussion of the life, doctrine, and context of this Roman Epicurean thinker.
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Nature of Things (tr. W. E. Leonard) by Lucretius - Annotated HTML text, cross-linked to the Encyclopedia of the Self.
On the Nature of the Universe - Discussion of Lucretius' book. Provides information on the historical background and the aim of the author.
Meta Description: [ Learn about Lucretius' De Rerum Natura using this exceptional online study guide with links to multiple resources on CTCWeb. ]
On the Nature of Things - Written 50 B.C.E by Lucretius. Verse translation by William Ellery Leonard.
Meta Description: [ On the Nature of Things by Lucretius, part of the Internet Classics Archive ]
Project Gutenberg Presents: Of the Nature of Things - Download Lucretius' Epicurean text as e-book as text- or .zip file.
University of Adelaide: Lucretius - Link collection to biographical entries and e-texts concerning Lucretius.
What Lucretius Wrought - Essay about the works and philosophy of the Roman Thinker.
Wikipedia: Lucretius - Encyclopedical entry of Lucretius' life and work.
