Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I: Antiquity
- 1 Lucretius and Greek philosophy
- 2 Lucretius and the Herculaneum library
- 3 Lucretius and Roman politics and history
- 4 Lucretius and previous poetic traditions
- 5 Lucretian architecture: the structure and argument of the De rerum natura
- 6 Lucretian texture: style, metre and rhetoric in the De rerum natura
- 7 Lucretius and later Latin literature in antiquity
- Part II: Themes
- Part III: Reception
- Dateline
- List of works cited
- Index of Main Lucretian Passages Discussed
- General Index
1 - Lucretius and Greek philosophy
from Part I: - Antiquity
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 May 2010
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I: Antiquity
- 1 Lucretius and Greek philosophy
- 2 Lucretius and the Herculaneum library
- 3 Lucretius and Roman politics and history
- 4 Lucretius and previous poetic traditions
- 5 Lucretian architecture: the structure and argument of the De rerum natura
- 6 Lucretian texture: style, metre and rhetoric in the De rerum natura
- 7 Lucretius and later Latin literature in antiquity
- Part II: Themes
- Part III: Reception
- Dateline
- List of works cited
- Index of Main Lucretian Passages Discussed
- General Index
Summary
Lucretius’ relationship with earlier, Greek philosophy is determined by two principal factors. First, he is writing his work as a committed adherent to Epicureanism. He is confident that Epicureanism gives the correct answers to major philosophical questions such as the nature of the universe, the nature of a person and of the gods, and the goal of a human life. This commitment determines his presentation of all other philosophical ideas since any philosophy which is incompatible with the Epicurean truth is by definition false. Lucretius is also convinced that Epicureanism has been comprehensively described and elaborated by Epicurus himself. There is no further philosophical inquiry to be done; Lucretius’ task is therefore expository and explanatory. He has merely to make clear the truth and make it palatable to his, as yet, uninitiated Latin audience. Any other philosophical views which appear in the work are always outlined against the background of this prejudicial Epicurean view. Alternative accounts of the world are offered as illustrations of the kinds of mistakes possible if the Epicurean truth is ignored. Second, Lucretius offers himself as a conduit and translator to Rome of Greek ideas. He is a translator not in the sense of merely rendering an original Greek text into Latin. Rather, he introduces, packages and explains Greek thought for a new audience and a new culture and time. Nor does he think it right to transmit all previous Greek philosophy to Rome. Rather, he acts as a filter of Greek thought, admitting and translating only those ideas which are conducive to the goal of understanding the universe correctly and passing over or disparaging those mistaken Greek ideas which might put obstacles in the reader’s path.
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- The Cambridge Companion to Lucretius , pp. 19 - 32Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2007
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