Myth and Poetry in Lucretius

ISBN-13: 9780521451352 / Angielski / Twarda / 1994 / 276 str.

Monica R. Gale

Opis

Lucretius' De Rerum Natura is a philosophical epic, devoted to the exposition of Epicurean philosophy. Since the system was materialistic, and highly critical of myth and poetry, Lucretius' use of mythological language and imagery is surprising. Dr. Gale considers the poem against the background of earlier and contemporary views of myth, and suggests that Lucretius was well aware of the tension between his two roles as poet and philosopher, and attempted to resolve it by developing a bold and innovative theory of myth and poetry.

Recenzje

"This is, quite simply, a superb book, the merits of which I haven't the space to expound properly, nor is it possible to engage the author in the many particulars which one should very much like to argue. Gale has provided a deep and intelligent study of what must be conceded to be matters of crucial concern in understanding Lucretius....she is thorough, judicious and fair to those scholars with whom she takes issue....she writes pleasingly well: it is a genuine pleasure to see literature and philosophy discussed with such clarity. This book very much belongs on the same shelf as Diskin Clay's Lucretius and Epicurus and Philip Hardie's Cosmos and Imperium." W. Jeffery Tatum, Classical World

Spis treści

Preface; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. The philosophical background: Greek myth and mythology; 2. The cultural background: myth and belief in late Republican Rome; 3. The literary background: the De Rerum Natura as epic; 4. Lucretius' theory of myth; 5. Latent myth in the De Rerum Natura; 6. The proem and the plague; Conclusion: myth as a poetic and philosophical tool; Bibliography; General Index; Index of passages cited.