The acclaimed translation of the classic poem at the heart of Stephen
Greenblatt's The Swerve
"A plague . . . tests us in unique ways. . . . Only if you can face
the invisible bullets all around us, and still keep calm, remain
rational, and somehow find it possible to take pleasure in life, have
you learned the lesson that [The Nature of Things] set out to
teach." --Stephen Greenblatt, The New Yorker
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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up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
