Lucretius’s De Rerum Natura

Lucretius (c. 99–c. 55), translated by Kelk, Christopher (contributor-contact-email)

De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) is a didactic poem from the 1st century BC by Lucretius, aimed at presenting Epicurean thought to a Roman readership. Spanning six books and approximately 7,400 dactylic hexameters, it articulates Epicurean physics using poetic devices. The text delves into atomism, the essence of mind and soul, sensory perception, cognition, the formation of the world, and various cosmic and earthly occurrences. Lucretius suggests that the world operates without gods’ influence, driven by chance rather than divine will.

Lucretius’ mission is to articulate and expand upon Epicurus’ principle that human suffering stems from fear of divine judgment. Epicurus employed atomistic theory to argue the cosmos originated from random particle motion, not a deity’s will. He maintained that gods exist but are uninvolved with humanity, thus humans should live unafraid of divine retribution. Lucretius writes to dispel fears of the supernatural by illustrating that observable phenomena can be explained by natural law without requiring divine action.

Author Details

Titus Lucretius Carus, born circa 99BC, and dying circa 55BC, was a Roman poet and philosopher renowned for his work “De rerum natura” (“On the Nature of Things”). This philosophical poem, his only extant work, embodies the principles of Epicureanism, a body of thought based on the teaching of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, including atomism and primitive cosmology.

Lucretius is known to have been associated with Gaius Memmius, to whom the poem was dedicated. “De rerum natura” influenced several Augustan poets, including Virgil and Horace. All trace of it was lost during the Middle Ages but a manuscript was found in a German monastery in 1417 by Poggio Bracciolini, its discovery marking a significant moment in the intellectual development of the Renaissance.

The poem, which comprises over 7,000 dactylic hexameters in six books, addresses topics ranging from atomism to the nature of the soul and the development of the world, based on a materialist philosophy free of any form of divine intervention. While Lucretius’ work primarily contributed to the revival of Epicurean philosophy and atomism, it later influenced the thinkers of the Enlightenment.

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Kelk, Christopher

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