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Chapter 6 - Vir Recreandus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2023

Michael Pope
Affiliation:
Brigham Young University, Utah
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Summary

In the sixth and final chapter, we continue to trace how Lucretius rehabilitates Roman men and their performed gender. Although I resume exploring the sexual language and figures by which Lucretius depreciates male presumptions of anatomical and sociological advantage, in “Vir Recreandus” I also tease out from the poem a positive argument about masculinity. Following the poet’s cues, I construct what an Epicurean man is, what he can do, what he is for, and how he can flourish in Lucretius’ reordering of the world. This Epicurean homo turns out to be manly in behaviors that, in part, map onto traditional scripts for a vir even while acting and self-regarding in ways that Romans would deem strange indeed. Much to Cicero’s vexation, Epicurean men become Rome’s true patriots.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Vir Recreandus
  • Michael Pope, Brigham Young University, Utah
  • Book: Lucretius and the End of Masculinity
  • Online publication: 11 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009242349.006
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  • Vir Recreandus
  • Michael Pope, Brigham Young University, Utah
  • Book: Lucretius and the End of Masculinity
  • Online publication: 11 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009242349.006
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Vir Recreandus
  • Michael Pope, Brigham Young University, Utah
  • Book: Lucretius and the End of Masculinity
  • Online publication: 11 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009242349.006
Available formats
×