Lucretius and the Transformation of Greek Wisdom [Paperback]

This book studies the structure and origins of De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things), the great first-century BC poem by Lucretius.This book studies the structure and origins of De Rerum Natura (On the nature of things), the great first-century BC poem by Lucretius. By showing how he worked from the literary model set by the Greek poet Empedocles but under the philosophical inspiration of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, the book seeks to characterise Lucretius' unique poetic achivement. It is addressed to those interested both in Latin poetry and in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy.This book studies the structure and origins of De Rerum Natura (On the nature of things), the great first-century BC poem by Lucretius. By showing how he worked from the literary model set by the Greek poet Empedocles but under the philosophical inspiration of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, the book seeks to characterise Lucretius' unique poetic achivement. It is addressed to those interested both in Latin poetry and in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy.This book studies the structure and origins of De Rerum Natura (On the nature of things), the great first-century BC poem by Lucretius. By showing how he worked from the literary model set by the Greek poet Empedocles but under the philosophical inspiration of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, the book seeks to characterize Lucretius' unique poetic achivement. It is addressed to those interested both in Latin poetry and in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy.1. The Empedoclean opening; 2. Two languages, two worlds; 3. Lucretius the fundamentalist; 4. Epicurus, On Nature; 5. Lucretius' plan and its execution; 6. The imprint of Theophrastus; 7. The transformation of Book I; Epilogue. ...full of convincing individual arguments, and well worth reading. Classical World David Sedley has done perhaps more than anyone elsse in recent years in showing the closeness of the relationship between Lucretius and Empedocles, and especially how Empl##