The Nature of Things
Lucretius10 USD
Date
1977
Category
Poetry
Description
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 gods; and that by believing this men can live in peace of mind and happiness. He bases this on the atomic theory expounded by the Greek philosopher Epicurus, and continues with an examination of sensation, sex, cosmology, meteorology, and geology, all of these subjects made more attractive by the poetry with which he illustrates them.
Excerpt
Then here you have what is called void. Besides,
Whatever is has something fixed to do,
Or suffers from what others do to it,
Or is the medium in which they live:
But naught that has no body e’ver can act,
Nor yet be acted on, nor can there be
For action room, unless there is a void.
Thus all things whatsoever can be named
You’ll find are properties of these two things,
Close linked to them, or else their accidents.
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