On the Nature of Things - Softcover

Carus, Titus Lucretius

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1616402776 ISBN 13: 9781616402778

Verlag: Cosimo Classics, 2010

Inhaltsangabe

Titled De rerum natura in Latin, On the Nature of Things, written by Titus Lucretius Carus and translated by John Selby Watson, is an epic poem and philosophical essay in one. Written with the intent of explaining Epicurean philosophy to the Romans, the original poem was divided into six books and written in dactylic hexameter. The overarching principle in the book explains the human role in a universe ruled by chance. Notable is the absence of the gods the Romans depended upon; though LUCRETIUS invokes the goddess Venus in the poem's opening lines, he uses her merely as an allegory for sexual and reproductive power. Other themes throughout the poem include the nature of the soul and mind, why we sense and feel and think, principles of the void and atomism, the creation and evolution of the world, and celestial and terrestrial phenomena (and their differences). It tries to explain human life and purpose in a nutshell, or the nature of the Universe--a way for people to cope and understand in a confused and terrifying world. TITUS LUCRETIUS CARUS (c. 99 BC - 55 BC) was a Roman philosopher and poet. Very little is known about his life, and his only known work is the epic poem on Epicurean philosophy, On the Nature of Things. He dedicated the work to the famous Roman orator and poet Gaius Memmius, who may have been a friend, and it is thought that he may have died before he finished editing the poem, as it ends rather abruptly. The book's translator, JOHN SELBY WATSON (1804-1884), was a British translator and writer, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his wife in 1872.

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Titus Lucretius Carus, a Roman poet and philosopher of the 1st century BC, is renowned for his epic poem De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things). This work explores Epicurean philosophy, focusing on atomism, the mind, and the natural world. Despite its influence, little is known about Lucretius's life, leaving his biography shrouded in mystery.Rediscovered in 1417 by Renaissance humanist Poggio Bracciolini, De rerum natura played a pivotal role in reviving atomistic thought. Its themes influenced Roman writers like Virgil and Horace, as well as later scientific and philosophical movements. The poem's rediscovery marked a turning point in the intellectual history of the Western world.Lucretius's challenge to superstition and emphasis on reason inspired Enlightenment thinkers and modern scientific perspectives. His poetic exploration of nature and existence remains deeply relevant today. Through his timeless work, Lucretius invites readers to reflect on the fundamental nature of reality.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Cosimo Classics
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2010
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1616402776
• ISBN 13: 9781616402778
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 308
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: gpsr@libri.de; gpsr@libri.de; ; Europaallee 1; Bad Hersfeld; 36244; Deutschland