Selections From De Rerum Natura

"Of the Nature of Things" is a first-century BCE didactic poem by the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius to explain Epicurean philosophy to a Roman audience. In this work, T. Lucretius Carus presents the view that the world can be described by the function of material forces and natural laws. So, one should not fear the gods or death.

-- A brief biography of Lucretius -- History of materialist theory of the universe -- Detailed discussion of Lucretian originality and style -- Section on meter -- Bibliography The text includes 53 passages (1291 lines total) spanning the entire

Verse translation of Lucretius's epic Latin poem explaining the universe, within the framework of Epicurean philosophy.

Reissued to accompany Stephen Greenblatt's The Swerve: the epic poem that changed the course of human thought forever. This great poem stands with Virgil's Aeneid as one of the vital and enduring achievements of Latin literature. Lost for more than a thousand years, its return to circulation in 1417 reintroduced dangerous ideas about the nature and meaning of existence and helped shape the modern world.

With a commentary giving proper critical emphasis to the techniques and intentions of Lucretius' poetry.