Customer Reviews

Lucretius: On the Nature of Things (Loeb Classical Library No. 181) (Bks. 1-6)

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The first thing that the potential buyer should know is although De Rerum Natura is a poem, this translation doesn't even attempt to be poetic but simply translates everything as prose. On the other hand, this choice may aid readers who are trying to follow along in Latin as a poetic translation would have to be less faithful.

Secondly, the translator seems to be trying to weaken Lucretius' arguments deliberately -- for instance, a major theme of the first book is a rebuttal of the tired assertion that religion leads to morality-- but the translator always uses "superstition" as a translation for the Latin word "religio". While it is true that "religio" can also mean "superstition", it is clear from the context that Lucretius was criticizing mainstream supernatural beliefs -- in other words religion -- rather than oddball beliefs that are termed superstition.

This is the Loeb Classical Library (parallel Latin-English) edition of Lucretius' *De Rerum Natura.* Martin Ferguson Smith has done a superb job of revising (in 1975, with further changes in 1982 and 1992) the version of W.H.D. Rouse which first appeared in 1924; Smith also adds his own valuable introduction on the life and works of Lucretius.

The poem itself is diffuse, with flashes of considerable brilliance, but some awfully primitive "scientific" notions (probably unavoidable given the times in which Lucretius wrote). As far as what has been considered "atheism" on Lucretius' part (though wrongly, as Lucretius does not deny that gods exist--only that they have any bearing on human affairs), and his disbelief in any kind of afterlife, I have to agree with John Dryden that such teachings are the opposite of what is likely to instill a sense of morality in the reader, as Lucretius apparently intended to instill in Memmius, the person he addresses in the poem; said Dryden, "...to take away rewards and punishments, is only a pleasing prospect to a man, who resolves beforehand not to live morally. But on the other side, the thought of being nothing after death is insupportable to a vertuous man..." (Preface to Sylvae).

The Loeb edition also has helpful glosses in the margins opposite the English translation, which are very helpful signposts to aid the reader in finding his way around Lucretius' often complex argumentation. Highly recommended.

If you want to get the tone of poetry in the 1st century, you might be disappointed. The translation is straightforward prose. Nonetheless, I was not interested in poetry, but the philosophy and the concepts of morality regarding religion, god, etc. I was not disappointed. I believe you will appreciate this work if your cup of tea is philosophy, rather than poetry.