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Titus Lucretius Carus was probably born in the early first century
B.C., and died in the year 55. Little is known of his life,
although two tantalizing bits of gossip were passed on by St.
Jerome: that he was poisoned by a madness-inducing aphrodisiac
given him by his wife, and that his great poem On the Nature of
Things was posthumously edited by Cicero. For the latter assertion,
writes Anthony Esolen in his introduction to the present volume,
there is little evidence, and none whatsoever for the former.
What does survive is a masterful poetic work that stands as the
greatest exposition of Epicurean philosophy. Writing in the waning
days of the Roman Republic -- as Rome's politics grew
individualistic and treacherous, its high-life wanton, its piety
introspective and morbid -- Lucretius sets forth a rational and
materialistic view of the world which offers a retreat into a quiet
community of wisdom and friendship.
Even to modern readers, the sweep of Lucretius's observations is
remarkable. A careful observer of nature, he writes with an
innocent curiosity into how things are put together -- from the
oceans, lands, and stars to a mound of poppy seeds, from the
"applause" of a rooster's wings to the human mind and soul. Yet
Lucretius is no romantic. Nature is what it is -- fascinating,
purposeless, beautiful, deadly. Once we understand this, we free
ourselves of superstitious fears, becoming as human and as godlike
as we can be. The poem, then, is about the universe and how human
beings ought to live in it. Epicurean physics and morality
converge.
Until now, there has been no adequate English verse translation
of Lucretius's work. Anthony Esolen fills that gap with a
versionthat reproduces -- with remarkable faithfulness -- the
meaning, pace, and tone of the original Latin.
Here is a book that will introduce a new generation of readers
to a thinker whose powers of observation and depth of insight
remain fresh to the present day.
"Esolen has the rare gift of being both a fine poet and a lover
of languages. His diction is poetic and natural; he has a fine ear
for sound, and the translation benefits greatly from being read
aloud -- as Latin poetry was meant to be. This translation is clear
and forceful. It can, and will, be read." -- Kenneth J. Reckford,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Martin Ferguson Smith's work on Lucretius is both well known and
highly regarded. However, his 1969 translation of De Rerum Natura
--long out of print--is virtually unknown. Readers will share our
excitement in the discovery of this accurate and fluent prose
rendering. For this edition, Professor Smith provides a revised
translation, new Introduction, headnotes and bibliography.
This selection of poems from Taja Kramberger's last three
collections is a magnificent introduction to the poet's work. These
narrative poems hold immense power and a fighting spirit that
drives the long lines to right the balance of oppression and lost
histories. Finding the political in the scurrying of ants and of
wrinkles, the voice within these poems is low, insistent and
persuasive. The collection jostles with people, famous and
invisible, living out lives that all hold significance for the
poet, and celebrate the power of every individual, whoever they
are, making these ultimately uplifting and affirming poems.
Martin Ferguson Smith's work on Lucretius is both well known and
highly regarded. However, his 1969 translation of De Rerum Natura
--long out of print--is virtually unknown. Readers will share our
excitement in the discovery of this accurate and fluent prose
rendering. For this edition, Professor Smith provides a revised
translation, new Introduction, headnotes and bibliography.
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The Nature of Things (Hardcover)
Lucretius; Introduction by Richard Jenkyns; Translated by A. E Stallings
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R472
R386
Discovery Miles 3 860
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One of a major new Classics series - books that have changed the
history of thought, in sumptuous, clothbound hardbacks. Lucretius'
poem On the Nature of Things combines a scientific and
philosophical treatise with some of the greatest poetry ever
written. With intense moral fervour he demonstrates to humanity
that in death there is nothing to fear since the soul is mortal,
and the world and everything in it is governed by the mechanical
laws of nature and not by gods; and that by believing this men can
live in peace of mind and happiness. He bases this on the atomic
theory expounded by the Greek philosopher Epicurus, and continues
with an examination of sensation, sex, cosmology, meteorology, and
geology, all of these subjects made more attractive by the poetry
with which he illustrates them.
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The Nature of Things (Paperback)
Lucretius; Introduction by Richard Jenkyns; Translated by A. E Stallings
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R341
R277
Discovery Miles 2 770
Save R64 (19%)
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Ships in 9 - 15 working days
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Lucretius' poem On the Nature of Things combines a scientific and
philosophical treatise with some of the greatest poetry ever
written. With intense moral fervour he demonstrates to humanity
that in death there is nothing to fear since the soul is mortal,
and the world and everything in it is governed by the mechanical
laws of nature and not by gods; and that by believing this men can
live in peace of mind and happiness. He bases this on the atomic
theory expounded by the Greek philosopher Epicurus, and continues
with an examination of sensation, sex, cosmology, meteorology, and
geology, all of these subjects made more attractive by the poetry
with which he illustrates them.
La vida de Lucrecio se desenvolvio en la primera mitad del siglo I
a.C. Se discuten las fechas exactas de su nacimiento y muerte, asi
como las circunstancias de su vida. De la naturaleza de las cosas
es el unico ejemplo de epica cientifica que nos ha llegado de la
Antiguedad. Nada escapa al afan unificador y explicativo del poeta:
los "accidentes" de los cuerpos, los sentidos, las tempestades, el
magnetismo, la muerte y el amor, y hasta los suenos. El genio del
autor y la riqueza de la doctrina convirtieron una obra filosofica
en uno de los mas bellos poemas en lengua latina.
An outstanding translation of the complete poem which adheres
faithfully to the text, with poetic force, accuracy, and humanitas.
This text includes introduction, notes, outline and a glossary of
philosophical terms cross-referenced to use throughout the poem.
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