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.
Lucretius' De Rerum Natura is a philosophical epic, devoted to the exposition of Epicurean philosophy. Since the system was materialistic, and highly ...
The epic was a daunting genre for Latin poets and audiences alike, with poets well aware that they were part of a tradition in which innovation had to be carefully balanced with the elements laid down by their Greek forbears. These eleven papers, from a conference held in Maynooth in 2000, examine the ways in which Latin authors used the genres of epic and didactic, the reasons for the blurred distinction or margins between the two, and the historical and political context of specific poems. Supported throughout with numerous extracts in Latin and English translation, the contributions...
The epic was a daunting genre for Latin poets and audiences alike, with poets well aware that they were part of a tradition in which innovation had to...
The "De Rerum Natura" of Lucretius (?97-55 BC) is at first sight something of an oddity: a scientific treatise dealing with atomic physics, human biology and the nature of the cosmos, it is at the same time a poem of great power and intensity, one of the most important and influential literary works of its era. This book seeks to resolve the apparent contradiction by locating Lucretius' poem in the context of a very ancient tradition of didactic (or 'teaching') epic. It explores some of the ways in which Lucretius, in this attempt to convince the reader of the truth of his philosophical...
The "De Rerum Natura" of Lucretius (?97-55 BC) is at first sight something of an oddity: a scientific treatise dealing with atomic physics, human b...
