Oct 09, 2008 lucretius poem on the nature of the universe combines a scientific and philosophical treatise with some of the greatest poetry ever written. Everything is in flux, the world is maintained by a constant struggle of opposites, with fire as the controlling form of matter. Prepared from the sphere library book, translated martin ferguson smith 1969. Introduction to lucretius on the nature of things cyril baley o f the three great latin poets lucretius seems to make the most peculiar appeal to our own age. Lucretius on the nature of things many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. On the nature of things by lucretius translated by william ellery leonard. Lucretius on the nature of things 1910 edition open. As an epic, it begins with an invocation to the muse, in this case, venus. The internet classics archive on the nature of things by. As the only detailed account of ancient atomism to come down to us more or less intact, it. Jan 28, 20 in lucretiuss universe, there are atoms and there is void completely empty space. Smith outlines in a highly accessible manner what little is known of lucretius life and times, the poems position and status in the epic and didactic tradition, and the philosophy of epicurus that lucretius puts forward, but also manages to include some of the most up to date research, including recent scholarship on the herculaneum papyri.
Buy on the nature of the universe oxford worlds classics reissue by lucretius, fowler, don, fowler, peta, melville, ronald isbn. Melvilles particularly literal translation of the use of metaphor is especially helpful to those looking at the text from a scientific or philosophical point of view. On the nature of things is a firstcentury bc didactic poem by the roman poet and philosopher lucretius c. The atoms are infinite in number and the void is infinite in extent, as is the universe. Add, too, whoever make the primal stuff twofold, by joining air to fire, and. Of the nature of things, by titus lucretius carus project gutenberg. From the outset, the most visible cost of this disenchantmentwhich for. Itmight indeed be thought that with so fine a model in existence it is unnecessary and unprofitable to undertake the task again. His stated aim is to disabuse his reader of the idea that the nature of the universe is owed to any demiurgic blueprint. Lucretius on the nature of things 1910 edition open library. On the nature of things has been divided into the following sections. On the nature of things translated, with an analysis of the six books.
Lucretius wishes to make the epicurean philosophy he is teaching more palatable, to coat it with the sweet honey of the muses. On the nature of the universe by lucretius flashcards quizlet. Pdf the nature of things penguin classics download ebook. From the outset, the most visible cost of this disenchantmentwhich for lucretius, of course, is its greatest gainis the uncoupling of the human from any cosmic master plan.
Lucretius was one of the first persons to discover that everything in this universe, ranging from planets and stars to mountains, decay. While the six untitled books that comprise on the nature of things delve into a broad range of subjects, including the physical nature of the universe, the workings of the human mind and body, and the natural history of the earth, lucretius repeatedly asserts throughout the work that his chief purpose is to provide the reader with a means to. Librivox recording of on the nature of things, by titus lucretius carus c. If fire was the main form of matter, it symbolizes the matter would come from and destroyed into nothing. The critique of teleology is, then, at its heart, a critique of the idea that the world was created. Lucretius c100c55bc, in elucidating this belief, steers the reader through an extraordinary breadth of subject matter, ranging from the indestructibility of atoms and the. Martin ferguson smiths work on lucretius is both well known and highly regarded. This is a new verse translation of lucretiuss only known work, a didactic poem written in six books of hexameters. Lucretius 2008 1997, 1999, on the nature of the universe tr. Centuries before the second law of thermodynamics, he predicted that one day the walls of the sky will be stormed on every side, and will collapse into a crumbling ruin. On the nature of the universe by lucretius flashcards. Among digressions about the importance of philosophy in mens life and praises of epicurus, lucretius created a solid treatise on the atomic theory, the falseness of religion and many kinds of natural phenomena. Rises to vision the majesty of gods, and their abodes of everlasting calm. Oxford university press oxford world classics, isbn 9780199555147.
On the nature of things by titus lucretius carus free ebook. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. On the nature of the universe is a didactic epic poem. Titus lucretius carus died mid to late 50s bce was an epicurean poet of.
Lucretius on the nature of the universe, as its title suggests, gives an account of the world, the universe, and everything in terms of atomic physics. The infinity of the universe now learn of what remains. Its easier to avoid the snares of love than to escape once you are in that net whose cords and knots are strong. On the nature of the universe oxford worlds classics. A modern translation of the whole work is contained in lucretius on the nature of the universe translated by r. Description of the book on the nature of the universe. The poem, written in some 7,400 dactylic hexameters, is divided into six untitled books, and explores epicurean physics through poetic. Titus lucretius quotes 15 science quotes dictionary of. Epicurians discarded both the idea of immortality and the superstitious worship of wilful gods for a life of serene contentment in the available pleasures of nature. Lucretius c100c55bc, in elucidating this belief, steers the reader through an extraordinary breadth of subject matter, ranging from the indestructibility of atoms and the discovery of fire to the folly of romantic love and the phenomena of clouds and rainstorms. Many comments have been posted about on the nature of things. As old as recorded history, there have been people who described the universe as infinite. In the first place, the study of lucretius has made considerable advances.
This is an interesting work to read, useful for promoting understanding of classical epicureanism notes mostly extracted from the text. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. Readers will share our excitement in the discovery of this accurate and fluent prose rendering. This description of on the nature of the universe may be somewhat surprising as lucretius is often cited for his atomic theory of nature. Lucretius held the universe to be a mixture of particles that have always existed. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. Book i 94k book ii 106k book iii 95k book iv 117k book v 9k book vi 122k download. Pdf lucretius and the history of science researchgate. On the nature of things a conversation with margaret graver, professor of classics, dartmouth college. Somehow nature has always managed to regulate herself quite well without any outside help. On the nature of things work by lucretius britannica.
Melvilles particularly literal translation of the use of metaphor is especially helpful to those looking at the text from a. Throughout the first three books of on the nature of the universe lucretius walks a thin line between philosophy, science and poetry. Melville, ronald introduction and notes by fowler, don. Lucretius poem on the nature of things combines a scientific and philosophical treatise with some of the greatest poetry ever written. With intense moral fervour he demonstrates to humanity that in death there is nothing to fear since the soul is mortal, and the world and everything in it is governed by the mechanical laws of nature and not by. With intense moral fervour lucretius demonstrates to humanity that in death there is nothing to fear since the soul is mortal, and the world and everything in it is governed not by the gods, but by the. Besides matter, the universe contains empty spacevacuity 5. The poem explores lucretius belief about the gods, humanity, the senses, the world, and the universe, all through the philosophical framework of epicurus. For soon as ever thy planning thought that sprang from godlike mind begins its loud proclaim of natures courses. The title of lucretiuss work translates that of the chief work of epicurus, peri physeos on nature. And since tis thou alone guidest the cosmos, and without thee naught is risen.
Lucretius dense blend of argumentation and neverinnocent illustra. On the nature of the universe by lucretius all religions are equally sublime to the ignorant, useful to the politician, and ridiculous to the philosopher. On the nature of the universe titus lucretius carus. In book 4 he sets out to prove once again that the universe is composed only of physical bits of matter called atoms and that gods did not create the cosmos nor do they intervene in human affairs. On the nature of things by lucretius, part of the internet. The title of lucretius s work translates that of the chief work of epicurus, peri physeos on nature. Of the nature of things paperback february 4, 2010 by lucretius author 4. The project gutenberg ebook of of the nature of things, by titus lucretius carus. Lucretius poem on the nature of the universe combines a scientific and philosophical treatise with some of the greatest poetry ever written. The poem is divided into six books or sections and.
In lucretiuss universe, there are atoms and there is void completely empty space. Nov 02, 2011 lucretius c100c55bc, in elucidating this belief, steers the reader through an extraordinary breadth of subject matter, ranging from the indestructibility of atoms and the discovery of fire to the folly of romantic love and the phenomena of clouds and rainstorms. On the nature of things is sweeping in scope and detail, but in the end it is essentially a presentation of the epicurean method for answering the most common and troubling questions about the nature of life and of the universe. Nothing else can be said to exist mon 28 jan 20 05. Lucretius has an axe to grind in this book with antiquitys teleologiststhe platonists, the aristotelians, and, most of all, the stoics. On the nature of the universe 1994 edition open library. Preface no one can set about tnnslating lucretius into english without finding his head full of the great work of h. This is a new verse translation of lucretius s only known work, a didactic poem written in six books of hexameters.
With intense moral fervour he demonstrates to humanity that in death there is nothing to fear since the soul is mortal, and the world and everything in it is governed by the mechanical laws of nature and not by gods. An electronic text version is available via ftp from project gutenberg. Book 2 expounds the ways in which atoms combine to produce. On the nature of the universe by lucretius, 1997 online. On the nature of the universe by lucretius, paperback. While lucretius atomism is certainly prescient he often applies it inappropriately and his absolute dichotomy between atoms and the void has been rejected by physicists since the time of einstein. On the nature of things, translated by martin ferguson smith. To that end lucretius, following epicurus largely lost on nature. Jan 21, 20 lucretius shows us the existence of invisible particles via the visible reality of the world around us, bombarding his reader with arguments and examples, to bring us what he believes is the truth. Nature is free and uncontrolled by proud masters and runs the universe by herself without the aid of the gods.
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