Lucretius book 4 commentary

On the nature of things by lucretius the internet classics archive. Lucretius on creation and evolution, gordon campbells new commentary on some of the most interesting lines in lucretius story 5. This lack of instructions on how to use the book makes for a reading experience more typical of fiction than a scholarly text. On the nature of things summary and study guide supersummary. Editions containing works of lucretius titus lucretius carus. Lucretius is building on the theory of perception outlined in book 4. Lucretius presents his point by point cosmology by declaring that the world, by which he implies the sky, the ocean, and the land, will fall. Preface no one can set about tnnslating lucretius into english without finding his head full of the great work of h. Lucretius begins each book of the poem in the high pathetic style genus. This 45page guide for on the nature of things by lucretius includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 6 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Featured content includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay topics, and key themes like fear of the gods and fear of death. Inertia and scientific law in sixteenthcentury commentaries. Lucretius has an axe to grind in this book with antiquitys teleologiststhe platonists, the aristotelians, and, most of.

This book spreads out luxurious cosmology and the idea of our reality. Home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help. On the nature of things is a firstcentury bc didactic poem by the roman poet and philosopher lucretius c. Latinum lucretius book two page 1 commentary in latin youtube. A pathbreaking new reading of lucretius materialist ethicshuman suffering, the fear of death, war, poverty, ecological destruction and social inequality.

While this seems to be a very fine scholarly approach to lucretius s philosophical poem, with an almost overabundance of line by line commentary, a substantial introduction, and in depth analysis of the text, nonetheless the poem is not here translated. Text and commentary of book 3 in the cambridge greek and roman classics series kenney note. Loeb classical library founded by james loeb 1911 edited by jeffrey henderson. On the nature of things work by lucretius britannica. If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support. Jerome, malchus the captive monk, by william turpin swarthmore college. Apollonius of rhodes, argonautica book 4 by peter hulse university of nottingham epictetus, encheiridion by albert watanabe louisiana state university lucian, philosophies for sale by eric casey trinity school, new york city latin commentaries. Study science in order to rid yourself of unneccesary fears, especially of the gods and death. Nov 05, 2015 lucretius on the nature of things book 4 part 1. Death is nothing to us why our alumni want to read lucretius. Lucretius on the nature of things book 4 part 2 great books of the western tradition. Lucretius starts by setting out the theory of simulacraatomthin and lightningfast images that stream from the surfaces of solid objects or sometimes form spontaneously in mid air and enter the eyes or mind to cause vision and visualization.

Stearns, epicurus and lucretius on love, cj 31 1936 34351 the violence of lucretius attack on love is quite unepicurean, p. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. Lucretius on the nature of things book 4 part 1 youtube. Throughout the first three books of on the nature of the universe lucretius walks a thin line between philosophy, science and poetry. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. The commentary concentrates on the thought of the text relating it to other philosophers beside epicurus and the poetry of the latin, placing the text in relation to roman literature in general, and. 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. In book 4, lucretius discusses the senses and concludes with a section on love and lust. Many comments have been posted about on the nature of things.

Leonards passionate introduction is a signal milestone in the history of the poems reception, while the notes in smiths commentary are a helpful guide to interpretation. This commentary seeks to locate lucretius in both the ancient and modern. On the nature of things book 5 summary freebooksummary. The heart of this book is a new text, incorporating the latest scholarship on the text of lucretius, with a clear prose facing translation. It also alludes to his ethical and logical doctrines. Lucretius ii paperback thomas nail oxford university. Itmight indeed be thought that with so fine a model in existence it is unnecessary and unprofitable to undertake the task again. Lucretius titus lucretius carus lucretius oxford scholarly editions. On the nature of things is a philosophical work by the roman author titus lucretius carus whom we call lucretius. In the first place, the study of lucretius has made considerable advances. For students approaching lucretius this remains the only commentary in english on the entire work in one volume. This last claim opens onto the observation that hemlock is great for goats, poisonous to humans. On the nature of the universe book 4 throughout the first three books of on the nature of the universe lucretius walks a thin line between philosophy, science and poetry.

These capitula are mainly in latin, but some appear in greek or, in other copies, transliterated greek. Despite the jumping around, this commentary provides and excellent amount of grammatical and vocabulary notes accompanied by an excellent supply of references to similar works of philosophy, mythology, and rhetoric provided in order that the reader may compare and contrast the prevalent ancient views on life and death, atomic and. 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. 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. Lucretiuseditions and commentaries 1,024 words article table of contents. Apollonius of rhodes, argonautica book 4 by peter hulse university of.

Gordon, the bibliographer of lucretius s poem, however, lists four commentaries in addition to that of lambinus before that date. Further english commentaries on lucretius, chiefly designed for students, are on hand for books iii e. The poem is the fullest extant statement of the physical theory of the greek philosopher epicurus. Editions of single books and selections all with commentary barigazzi, a. Now it just so turns out that lucretius might just have put his finger, wo knowing it, on a phenomenon of selforganization in the noto rious doctrine of the swerve clinamen in book 2. Its contentions can be partitioned into the introduction of the world, cosmology, the introduction of life on earth, and the starting points of human progress. Latinum lucretius book two page 1 commentary in latin. Lucretius regarded him as the spiritual savior of mankind. Lucretius observations of the particularities of the world remain alive across the centuries.

Campbell has written a thoughtful and timely reassessment of lucretius engagement with his teleological opponents, as well as with preso. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Thomas nail argues that lucretius was the first to locate the core of all these ethical ills in our obsession with stasis, our. Kenneys commentary covers lucretian vocabulary, syntax, and thankfully, meaning without the commentary reading lucretius would be immensely difficult. It is therefore slightly disappointing to have an additional commentary on book iii rather than ii, which was last treated by the somewhat dated work of cyril bailey oxford, 1947.

Thanks to the accidental survival in lucretius book 4 of two alternative programmatic passages for the. John conington, commentary on vergils aeneid, volume 1, 1. Book iv of lucretius great philosophical poem deals mainly with the psychology of sensation and thought. The world play is metonymic of lucretius s cosmology, fomenting constant etymological and linguistic collisions that engender new meanings. In six books compounded of solid reasoning, brilliant imagination, and noble poetry, he expounds the scientific theories of the greek. The basic theory is then applied to senseperception, and above all to vision and visualization, including dreams.

The commentary concentrates on the thought of the text relating it to other philosophers beside epicurus and the poetry of the latin, placing the. Commentaries in development dickinson college commentaries. Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. Lucretius, on the nature of things loeb classical library. Lucretius his six books of epicurean philosophy and manilius his five books containing a system of the ancient astronomy and. Think of translations of lucretius as offering a set of commentaries on his poem.

Editions containing works of lucretius titus lucretius carus lucretius on atomic motion. Epicureanism was a missionary philospohy, aiming to give man happiness by making him selfsufficient. He describes the way we see things as images of things which are perpetually peeled off the surface of. A couple of lines in book v lines 735 and 736, below help to make that point. Very little is known of the poets life, though a sense of his character and personality emerges vividly from his. In 1661, according to cohen, the only edition of lucretius available with a commentary was that of lambinus. The internet classics archive on the nature of things by. The commentary concentrates on the thought of the text relating it to other. The poem is divided into six books or sections and each of these books deals with different aspects of epicurean thought. This paper argues that the former organizations scheme derives. The section in the middle of the first book,5 in which lucretius criticizes rival theories of the world, shows us how epicurus applied his principle.

The feeling is the secret complete unabridged with commentary. The poem is divided into six books or sections and. Lee fratantuono reveals lucretius to be a poet with deep and abiding interest in the nature of the roman identity as the children of both venus through aeneas and mars through romulus. Wherethrough to mass themselves and struggle abroad. Godwins commentaries on books iv and vi warminster, 1986 and 1991, p. Don fowler 2007 lucretius on creation and evolution. Book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi card. For why those kinds should drop and part from things. The title of lucretiuss work translates that of the chief work of epicurus, peri physeos on nature.