{"id":25,"date":"2026-06-11T16:59:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T15:59:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/chapter\/lucretius-de-rerum-natura-book-i-lines-62-141-the-triumph-of-reason\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T14:34:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T13:34:27","slug":"lucretius-de-rerum-natura-book-i-lines-62-141-the-triumph-of-reason","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/chapter\/lucretius-de-rerum-natura-book-i-lines-62-141-the-triumph-of-reason\/","title":{"raw":"Lucretius: De rerum natura, Book I (Lines 62\u2013141) \u2013 The Triumph of Reason","rendered":"Lucretius: De rerum natura, Book I (Lines 62\u2013141) \u2013 The Triumph of Reason"},"content":{"raw":"

<\/h1>\n

1. Module Introduction: Science, Magic, and Typography<\/h2>\nThe study of Lucretius\u2019s De rerum natura<\/i> offers a unique intersection of ancient philosophy and modern scientific appreciation. Albert Einstein, in his foreword to the 1924 Diels edition, observed that the poem works a specific \"magic\" on those who find themselves spectators to their own age. For those who feel alienated by the intellectual attitudes of their contemporaries, Lucretius provides the vision of an independent man imagining the world through lively senses and speculative curiosity. Einstein was profoundly impressed by Lucretius\u2019s \"firm confidence\" in the \"causal connectedness of everything\" and the poet\u2019s conviction that all natural phenomena are based on the \"regular motion of immutable atoms.\"\n\nHowever, as a classical philologist must observe, Lucretius was also a master of rhetoric. Einstein noted that Lucretius was likely \"guided mostly by the need to persuade his readers of the necessity for the atomistic-mechanical worldview.\" This was a delicate task, as he \"dare not say this openly\" to his much more practically oriented Roman readers, who might have viewed such abstract physics as a distraction from the negotium<\/i> of the state. Lucretius thus frames his mechanical universe as the only viable path to psychological liberation, using the \"magic\" of his verse to make the bitter medicine of the atomistic worldview palatable to the Roman mind.\n\nThe physical history of the text itself mirrors this quest for clarity and accessibility. The broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough identifies the 1515 Aldine edition of Lucretius as his \"most precious\" book. This edition, produced by the pioneering Venice printer Aldus Manutius, revolutionized the transmission of classical thought by utilizing a \"wonderfully elegant italic script typeface.\" For the modern Open Educational Resource (OER) student, this history is vital: just as Manutius\u2019s typography brought aesthetic grace and portable clarity to the dense Latin hexameters, our digital architecture seeks to make these foundational explorations of human reason and the \"slavish fear\" of superstition accessible to a new generation of spectators.\n

DE INVENTORE ET RELIGIONE (62\u201388)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Latin (Diels 1923)<\/td>\nEnglish Translation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
62 Humana ante oculos foede cum uita iaceret<\/td>\n62 When human life lay foully before men's eyes,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
63 in terris oppressa graui sub religione,<\/td>\n63 bowed down on earth by the burden of heavy religion,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
64 quae caput a caeli regionibus ostendebat<\/td>\n64 which stretched out its head from the lofty regions of heaven,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
65 horribili super aspectu mortalibus instans,<\/td>\n65 afflicting mankind from above with a hideous grimace,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
66 primum Graius homo mortalis tollere contra<\/td>\n66 then first a Greek man dared to turn his mortal eyes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
67 est oculos ausus primusque obsistere contra;<\/td>\n67 against it, and was the first to boldly stand opposed;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
68 quem neque fama deum nec fulmina nec minitanti<\/td>\n68 whom neither the tales of gods nor lightning nor the sky<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
69 murmure compressit caelum, sed eo magis acrem<\/td>\n69 with its threatening murmur quelled, but only the more<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
70 inritat animi uirtutem, effringere ut arta<\/td>\n70 it stirred the sharp courage of his mind, to be the first<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
71 naturae primus portarum claustra cupiret.<\/td>\n71 to desire to break the narrow bars of nature's gates.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
72 ergo uiuida uis animi peruicit, et extra<\/td>\n72 Therefore the lively force of his mind prevailed, and<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
73 processit longe flammantia moenia mundi<\/td>\n73 he journeyed far beyond the flaming walls of the world<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
74 atque omne immensum peragrauit mente animoque<\/td>\n74 and traversed the whole infinite universe in mind and spirit,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
75 unde refert nobis uictor quid possit oriri,<\/td>\n75 whence he brings back to us as victor what can arise,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
76 quid nequeat, finita potestas denique cuique<\/td>\n76 what cannot, and by what law each thing has its power<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
77 qua nam sit ratione atque alte terminus haerens.<\/td>\n77 limited and its deep-set boundary stone fixed.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
78 quare religio pedibus subiecta uicissim<\/td>\n78 Thus, in turn, religion is cast down and trampled<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
79 opteritur, nos exaequat uictoria caelo.<\/td>\n79 underfoot, while victory lifts us to the heavens.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
80 Illud in his rebus uereor, ne forte rearis<\/td>\n80 In these matters, I fear this: that you might think<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
81 inpia te rationis inire elementa uiamque<\/td>\n81 you are entering upon unholy principles of reason<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
82 indugredi sceleris, quod contra saepius illa<\/td>\n82 and treading the path of sin; whereas on the contrary,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
83 religio peperit scelerosa atque impia facta.<\/td>\n83 religion has too often birthed wicked and unholy deeds.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
84 Aulide quo pacto Triuiai uirginis aram<\/td>\n84 As at Aulis, where the chosen leaders of the Greeks,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
85 Iphianassai turparunt sanguine foede<\/td>\n85 the first of men, foully defiled the altar of the<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
86 ductores Danaum delecti, prima uirorum.<\/td>\n86 Virgin of the Crossroads with Iphigenia's blood.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
87 cui simul infula uirgineos circum data comptus<\/td>\n87 As soon as the headband bound around her maiden locks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
88 ex utraque pari malarum parte profusast,<\/td>\n88 fell down in equal lengths from either cheek,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

EXEMPLVM RELIGIONIS (89\u2013111)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Latin (Diels 1923)<\/td>\nEnglish Translation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
89 et mestum simul ante aras adstare parentem<\/td>\n89 and she felt her grieving father standing by the altar,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
90 sensit, et hunc propter ferrum celare ministros,<\/td>\n90 and near him the priests concealing the blade,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
91 aspectuque suo lacrimas effundere ciuis,<\/td>\n91 and the citizens shedding tears at the sight of her,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
92 muta metu terram genibus summissa petebat.<\/td>\n92 silent with fear, she fell to the earth on her knees.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
93 nec miserae prodesse in tali tempore quibat<\/td>\n93 Nor in such a time could it help the wretched girl<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
94 quod patrio princeps donarat nomine regem;<\/td>\n94 that she had first given the king the name of father;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
95 nam sublata uirum manibus tremibundaque ad aras<\/td>\n95 for lifted by the hands of men, trembling she was led<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
96 deductast, non ut sollemni more sacrorum<\/td>\n96 to the altar, not so that after the holy ritual's end<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
97 perfecto posset claro comitari Hymenaeo,<\/td>\n97 she might be escorted by the loud Marriage Song,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
98 sed casta inceste, nubendi tempore in ipso,<\/td>\n98 but that, pure yet impure, in the very season of marriage,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
99 hostia concideret mactatu maesta parentis,<\/td>\n99 she might fall, a sorrowful victim to her father\u2019s blow,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
100 exitus ut classi felix faustusque daretur.<\/td>\n100 so that a happy and favored departure be given to the fleet.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
101 tantum religio potuit suadere malorum.<\/td>\n101 So great was the evil religion was able to persuade.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
102 Tutemet a nobis iam quouis tempore uatum<\/td>\n102 You yourself will now at some time seek to desert us,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
103 terriloquis uictus dictis desciscere quaeres.<\/td>\n103 overcome by the terror-speaking words of the seers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
104 quippe etenim quam multa tibi iam fingere possunt<\/td>\n104 For indeed, how many dreams can they now invent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
105 somnia, quae uitae rationes uertere possint<\/td>\n105 for you, which might overturn the logic of life<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
106 fortunasque tuas omnis turbare timore.<\/td>\n106 and disturb all your fortunes with fear.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
107 et merito: nam si certam finem esse uiderent<\/td>\n107 And rightly: for if men saw a certain end to their<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
108 aerumnarum homines, aliqua ratione ualerent<\/td>\n108 tribulations, they would be able in some way<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
109 religionibus atque minis obsistere uatum;<\/td>\n109 to resist the superstitions and threats of seers;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
110 nunc ratio nulla est restandi, nulla facultas,<\/td>\n110 now there is no logic for standing firm, no power,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
111 aeternas quoniam poenas in morte timendum.<\/td>\n111 since eternal punishments must be feared in death.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

DE ANIMA ET POETIS (112\u2013141)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Latin (Diels 1923)<\/td>\nEnglish Translation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
112 Ignoratur enim quae sit natura animai,<\/td>\n112 For it is unknown what the nature of the soul is,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
113 nata sit, an contra nascentibus insinuetur,<\/td>\n113 whether it is born, or on the contrary is infused at birth,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
114 et simul intereat nobiscum morte dirempta,<\/td>\n114 and whether it perishes with us, torn away by death,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
115 an tenebras Orci uisat uastasque lacunas,<\/td>\n115 or visits the shadows of Orcus and the vast pools,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
116 an pecudes alias diuinitus insinuet se,<\/td>\n116 or by divine will finds its way into other beasts,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
117 Ennius ut noster cecinit, qui primus amoeno<\/td>\n117 as our Ennius sang, who first from pleasant Helicon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
118 detulit ex Helicone perenni fronde coronam,<\/td>\n118 brought down a crown of everlasting leaf,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
119 per gentis Italas hominum quae clara clueret;<\/td>\n119 to be held famous through the Italian tribes of men;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
120 etsi praeterea tarnen esse Acherusia templa<\/td>\n120 although Ennius nevertheless sets forth in eternal verses<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
121 Ennius aeternis exponit uersibus edens,<\/td>\n121 that the Acherusian precincts exist,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
122 quo neque permaneant animae neque corpora nostra<\/td>\n122 where neither our souls nor our bodies remain,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
123 sed quaedam simulacra modis pallentia miris;<\/td>\n123 but certain images, pale in wonderful ways;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
124 unde sibi exortam semper florentis Homeri<\/td>\n124 whence he recalls the phantom of ever-flourishing Homer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
125 commemorat speciem lacrimas effundere salsas<\/td>\n125 rose up to him and began to shed salt tears<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
126 coepisse et rerum naturam expandere dictis.<\/td>\n126 and to unfold the nature of things in his words.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
127 Qua propter bene cum superis de rebus habenda<\/td>\n127 Wherefore, a correct account must be made by us<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
128 nobis est ratio, solis lunaeque meatus<\/td>\n128 concerning celestial things: by what law the sun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
129 qua fiant ratione, et qua ui quaeque gerantur<\/td>\n129 and moon move, and by what force all things on earth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
130 in terris, tum cum primis ratione sagaci<\/td>\n130 are driven, and then especially with keen reasoning<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
131 unde anima atque animi constet natura uidendum<\/td>\n131 we must see whence the soul and the spirit\u2019s nature consist,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
132 et quae res nobis uigilantibus obuia mentes;<\/td>\n132 and what thing meets our minds when we are awake,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
133 terrificet morbo adfectis somnoque sepultis,<\/td>\n133 or terrifies us when afflicted by disease or buried in sleep,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
134 cernere uti uideamur eos audireque coram,<\/td>\n134 so that we seem to see and hear those face to face<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
135 morte obita quorum tellus amplectitur ossa.<\/td>\n135 whose bones the earth embraces, after death has met them.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
136 Nec me animi fallit Graiorum obscura reperta<\/td>\n136 Nor does it escape my mind that the dark discoveries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
137 difficile inlustrare Latinis uersibus esse,<\/td>\n137 of the Greeks are difficult to illuminate in Latin verses,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
138 multa nouis uerbis praesertim cum sit agendum<\/td>\n138 especially when one must deal with many new words<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
139 propter egestatem linguae et rerum nouitatem;<\/td>\n139 due to the poverty of the tongue and the novelty of the subject;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
140 sed tua me uirtus tarnen et sperata uoluptas<\/td>\n140 but nevertheless your virtue and the hoped-for pleasure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
141 suauis amicitiae quemuis efferre laborem<\/td>\n141 of sweet friendship urge me to bear any labor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

5. Critical Apparatus: Testimonia and Codices<\/h2>\n
    \n \t
  • Lines 62\u201363:<\/b> Cited by Nonius (314, 30; 379, 12; 327, 2) regarding the ignominy of life bowed down by the burden of heavy religion.<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 64:<\/b> Referenced by Lactantius (Instit.<\/i> III 27, 10) regarding the \"regions of heaven\" (regionibus<\/i>).<\/li>\n \t
  • Lines 66\u201367:<\/b> Cited by Nonius (411, 2) under the entry tendere<\/i>.<\/li>\n \t
  • Lines 70\u201371:<\/b> Cited by Nonius (506, 36) and Priscian (X 6) regarding the narrow gates of nature (portarum claustra<\/i>).<\/li>\n \t
  • Lines 75\u201376:<\/b> Cited by Nonius (381, 29) regarding the limits of power.<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 82:<\/b> Referenced in [Prob.] de ult. syll.<\/i> and the Eclogae Sangallenses<\/i> (p. 10).<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 83:<\/b> Cited by Lactantius (Inst.<\/i> I 21, 14) following the Iphigenia narrative.<\/li>\n \t
  • Lines 84\u201385:<\/b> Cited by Priscian (VII 3) for the archaic genitive forms Triuiai<\/i> and Iphianassai<\/i>.<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 92:<\/b> Cited by the Scholia Veronensia<\/i> to Virgil\u2019s Aeneid<\/i> (XII 718).<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 101:<\/b> Famous closing of the sacrifice at Aulis, cited by Lactantius (Inst.<\/i> I 21, 14).<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 102:<\/b> Referenced by Servius (Aen.<\/i> IV 606) and Priscian (XII 23).<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 107:<\/b> Cited by Nonius (205, 8) regarding the term finem<\/i>.<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 112:<\/b> Referenced by Servius (Aen.<\/i> XI 230).<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 119:<\/b> Referenced in Eclogae Sangallenses<\/i> (p. 10).<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 123:<\/b> Cited by Macrobius (Sat.<\/i> VI 1, 49) for the phrasing pallentia miris<\/i>.<\/li>\n \t
  • Lines 134\u2013135:<\/b> Cited by Macrobius (Sat.<\/i> I. c. 48).<\/li>\n \t
  • Line 141:<\/b> Alluded to in Catonis disticha<\/i> (III 6, 2).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe text established by Hermann Diels (1923) relies on the primary Carolingian manuscripts. The O<\/b> (Oblongus<\/i>, Leidensis Vossianus Lat. Fol. 30) remains the most authoritative witness, representing the beautiful minuscule script taught in the Alcuinian schools. Q<\/b> (Quadratus<\/i>, Leidensis Vossianus 94) represents a separate family, sharing an ancestor with the G<\/b> (Gottorpienses<\/i>) fragments.\n
      \n \t
    • Line 66:<\/b> O<\/b> and Q<\/b> both read tollere<\/i>, which Diels retains in the primary text. Nonius, however, preserves the variant tendere<\/i>, which many editors prefer for its martial nuance.<\/li>\n \t
    • Line 70:<\/b> Priscian confirms effringere<\/i>, while Nonius suggests perfringere<\/i> and O<\/b> initially provides confringere<\/i>.<\/li>\n \t
    • Line 71:<\/b> O<\/b> and Q<\/b> originally read cuperet<\/i>, corrected to the archaic cupiret<\/i> by the O1<\/b> hand, supported by Nonius and Priscian.<\/li>\n \t
    • Line 84:<\/b> Orthography varies in the witnesses; Q<\/b> and G<\/b> read triuiat<\/i>, while O<\/b> provides the correct archaic genitive triuiai<\/i>.<\/li>\n \t
    • Line 104:<\/b> O<\/b>, Q<\/b>, and G<\/b> all read possum<\/i> (I am able<\/i>), but the emendation by Marullus to possunt<\/i> is accepted to align with the plural somnia<\/i> (dreams<\/i>).<\/li>\n \t
    • Line 141:<\/b> While Q<\/b> and G<\/b> read quamuis<\/i>, O<\/b> and Q<\/b> preserve quemuis<\/i>. The variant sufferre<\/i> appears in the Disticha Catonis<\/i>, but the major codices O<\/b>, Q<\/b>, and G<\/b> consistently read efferre<\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","rendered":"

      <\/h1>\n

      1. Module Introduction: Science, Magic, and Typography<\/h2>\n

      The study of Lucretius\u2019s De rerum natura<\/i> offers a unique intersection of ancient philosophy and modern scientific appreciation. Albert Einstein, in his foreword to the 1924 Diels edition, observed that the poem works a specific “magic” on those who find themselves spectators to their own age. For those who feel alienated by the intellectual attitudes of their contemporaries, Lucretius provides the vision of an independent man imagining the world through lively senses and speculative curiosity. Einstein was profoundly impressed by Lucretius\u2019s “firm confidence” in the “causal connectedness of everything” and the poet\u2019s conviction that all natural phenomena are based on the “regular motion of immutable atoms.”<\/p>\n

      However, as a classical philologist must observe, Lucretius was also a master of rhetoric. Einstein noted that Lucretius was likely “guided mostly by the need to persuade his readers of the necessity for the atomistic-mechanical worldview.” This was a delicate task, as he “dare not say this openly” to his much more practically oriented Roman readers, who might have viewed such abstract physics as a distraction from the negotium<\/i> of the state. Lucretius thus frames his mechanical universe as the only viable path to psychological liberation, using the “magic” of his verse to make the bitter medicine of the atomistic worldview palatable to the Roman mind.<\/p>\n

      The physical history of the text itself mirrors this quest for clarity and accessibility. The broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough identifies the 1515 Aldine edition of Lucretius as his “most precious” book. This edition, produced by the pioneering Venice printer Aldus Manutius, revolutionized the transmission of classical thought by utilizing a “wonderfully elegant italic script typeface.” For the modern Open Educational Resource (OER) student, this history is vital: just as Manutius\u2019s typography brought aesthetic grace and portable clarity to the dense Latin hexameters, our digital architecture seeks to make these foundational explorations of human reason and the “slavish fear” of superstition accessible to a new generation of spectators.<\/p>\n

      DE INVENTORE ET RELIGIONE (62\u201388)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Latin (Diels 1923)<\/td>\nEnglish Translation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      62 Humana ante oculos foede cum uita iaceret<\/td>\n62 When human life lay foully before men’s eyes,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      63 in terris oppressa graui sub religione,<\/td>\n63 bowed down on earth by the burden of heavy religion,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      64 quae caput a caeli regionibus ostendebat<\/td>\n64 which stretched out its head from the lofty regions of heaven,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      65 horribili super aspectu mortalibus instans,<\/td>\n65 afflicting mankind from above with a hideous grimace,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      66 primum Graius homo mortalis tollere contra<\/td>\n66 then first a Greek man dared to turn his mortal eyes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      67 est oculos ausus primusque obsistere contra;<\/td>\n67 against it, and was the first to boldly stand opposed;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      68 quem neque fama deum nec fulmina nec minitanti<\/td>\n68 whom neither the tales of gods nor lightning nor the sky<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      69 murmure compressit caelum, sed eo magis acrem<\/td>\n69 with its threatening murmur quelled, but only the more<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      70 inritat animi uirtutem, effringere ut arta<\/td>\n70 it stirred the sharp courage of his mind, to be the first<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      71 naturae primus portarum claustra cupiret.<\/td>\n71 to desire to break the narrow bars of nature’s gates.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      72 ergo uiuida uis animi peruicit, et extra<\/td>\n72 Therefore the lively force of his mind prevailed, and<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      73 processit longe flammantia moenia mundi<\/td>\n73 he journeyed far beyond the flaming walls of the world<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      74 atque omne immensum peragrauit mente animoque<\/td>\n74 and traversed the whole infinite universe in mind and spirit,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      75 unde refert nobis uictor quid possit oriri,<\/td>\n75 whence he brings back to us as victor what can arise,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      76 quid nequeat, finita potestas denique cuique<\/td>\n76 what cannot, and by what law each thing has its power<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      77 qua nam sit ratione atque alte terminus haerens.<\/td>\n77 limited and its deep-set boundary stone fixed.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      78 quare religio pedibus subiecta uicissim<\/td>\n78 Thus, in turn, religion is cast down and trampled<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      79 opteritur, nos exaequat uictoria caelo.<\/td>\n79 underfoot, while victory lifts us to the heavens.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      80 Illud in his rebus uereor, ne forte rearis<\/td>\n80 In these matters, I fear this: that you might think<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      81 inpia te rationis inire elementa uiamque<\/td>\n81 you are entering upon unholy principles of reason<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      82 indugredi sceleris, quod contra saepius illa<\/td>\n82 and treading the path of sin; whereas on the contrary,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      83 religio peperit scelerosa atque impia facta.<\/td>\n83 religion has too often birthed wicked and unholy deeds.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      84 Aulide quo pacto Triuiai uirginis aram<\/td>\n84 As at Aulis, where the chosen leaders of the Greeks,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      85 Iphianassai turparunt sanguine foede<\/td>\n85 the first of men, foully defiled the altar of the<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      86 ductores Danaum delecti, prima uirorum.<\/td>\n86 Virgin of the Crossroads with Iphigenia’s blood.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      87 cui simul infula uirgineos circum data comptus<\/td>\n87 As soon as the headband bound around her maiden locks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      88 ex utraque pari malarum parte profusast,<\/td>\n88 fell down in equal lengths from either cheek,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      EXEMPLVM RELIGIONIS (89\u2013111)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Latin (Diels 1923)<\/td>\nEnglish Translation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      89 et mestum simul ante aras adstare parentem<\/td>\n89 and she felt her grieving father standing by the altar,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      90 sensit, et hunc propter ferrum celare ministros,<\/td>\n90 and near him the priests concealing the blade,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      91 aspectuque suo lacrimas effundere ciuis,<\/td>\n91 and the citizens shedding tears at the sight of her,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      92 muta metu terram genibus summissa petebat.<\/td>\n92 silent with fear, she fell to the earth on her knees.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      93 nec miserae prodesse in tali tempore quibat<\/td>\n93 Nor in such a time could it help the wretched girl<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      94 quod patrio princeps donarat nomine regem;<\/td>\n94 that she had first given the king the name of father;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      95 nam sublata uirum manibus tremibundaque ad aras<\/td>\n95 for lifted by the hands of men, trembling she was led<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      96 deductast, non ut sollemni more sacrorum<\/td>\n96 to the altar, not so that after the holy ritual’s end<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      97 perfecto posset claro comitari Hymenaeo,<\/td>\n97 she might be escorted by the loud Marriage Song,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      98 sed casta inceste, nubendi tempore in ipso,<\/td>\n98 but that, pure yet impure, in the very season of marriage,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      99 hostia concideret mactatu maesta parentis,<\/td>\n99 she might fall, a sorrowful victim to her father\u2019s blow,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      100 exitus ut classi felix faustusque daretur.<\/td>\n100 so that a happy and favored departure be given to the fleet.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      101 tantum religio potuit suadere malorum.<\/td>\n101 So great was the evil religion was able to persuade.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      102 Tutemet a nobis iam quouis tempore uatum<\/td>\n102 You yourself will now at some time seek to desert us,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      103 terriloquis uictus dictis desciscere quaeres.<\/td>\n103 overcome by the terror-speaking words of the seers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      104 quippe etenim quam multa tibi iam fingere possunt<\/td>\n104 For indeed, how many dreams can they now invent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      105 somnia, quae uitae rationes uertere possint<\/td>\n105 for you, which might overturn the logic of life<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      106 fortunasque tuas omnis turbare timore.<\/td>\n106 and disturb all your fortunes with fear.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      107 et merito: nam si certam finem esse uiderent<\/td>\n107 And rightly: for if men saw a certain end to their<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      108 aerumnarum homines, aliqua ratione ualerent<\/td>\n108 tribulations, they would be able in some way<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      109 religionibus atque minis obsistere uatum;<\/td>\n109 to resist the superstitions and threats of seers;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      110 nunc ratio nulla est restandi, nulla facultas,<\/td>\n110 now there is no logic for standing firm, no power,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      111 aeternas quoniam poenas in morte timendum.<\/td>\n111 since eternal punishments must be feared in death.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      DE ANIMA ET POETIS (112\u2013141)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Latin (Diels 1923)<\/td>\nEnglish Translation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      112 Ignoratur enim quae sit natura animai,<\/td>\n112 For it is unknown what the nature of the soul is,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      113 nata sit, an contra nascentibus insinuetur,<\/td>\n113 whether it is born, or on the contrary is infused at birth,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      114 et simul intereat nobiscum morte dirempta,<\/td>\n114 and whether it perishes with us, torn away by death,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      115 an tenebras Orci uisat uastasque lacunas,<\/td>\n115 or visits the shadows of Orcus and the vast pools,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      116 an pecudes alias diuinitus insinuet se,<\/td>\n116 or by divine will finds its way into other beasts,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      117 Ennius ut noster cecinit, qui primus amoeno<\/td>\n117 as our Ennius sang, who first from pleasant Helicon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      118 detulit ex Helicone perenni fronde coronam,<\/td>\n118 brought down a crown of everlasting leaf,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      119 per gentis Italas hominum quae clara clueret;<\/td>\n119 to be held famous through the Italian tribes of men;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      120 etsi praeterea tarnen esse Acherusia templa<\/td>\n120 although Ennius nevertheless sets forth in eternal verses<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      121 Ennius aeternis exponit uersibus edens,<\/td>\n121 that the Acherusian precincts exist,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      122 quo neque permaneant animae neque corpora nostra<\/td>\n122 where neither our souls nor our bodies remain,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      123 sed quaedam simulacra modis pallentia miris;<\/td>\n123 but certain images, pale in wonderful ways;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      124 unde sibi exortam semper florentis Homeri<\/td>\n124 whence he recalls the phantom of ever-flourishing Homer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      125 commemorat speciem lacrimas effundere salsas<\/td>\n125 rose up to him and began to shed salt tears<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      126 coepisse et rerum naturam expandere dictis.<\/td>\n126 and to unfold the nature of things in his words.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      127 Qua propter bene cum superis de rebus habenda<\/td>\n127 Wherefore, a correct account must be made by us<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      128 nobis est ratio, solis lunaeque meatus<\/td>\n128 concerning celestial things: by what law the sun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      129 qua fiant ratione, et qua ui quaeque gerantur<\/td>\n129 and moon move, and by what force all things on earth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      130 in terris, tum cum primis ratione sagaci<\/td>\n130 are driven, and then especially with keen reasoning<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      131 unde anima atque animi constet natura uidendum<\/td>\n131 we must see whence the soul and the spirit\u2019s nature consist,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      132 et quae res nobis uigilantibus obuia mentes;<\/td>\n132 and what thing meets our minds when we are awake,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      133 terrificet morbo adfectis somnoque sepultis,<\/td>\n133 or terrifies us when afflicted by disease or buried in sleep,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      134 cernere uti uideamur eos audireque coram,<\/td>\n134 so that we seem to see and hear those face to face<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      135 morte obita quorum tellus amplectitur ossa.<\/td>\n135 whose bones the earth embraces, after death has met them.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      136 Nec me animi fallit Graiorum obscura reperta<\/td>\n136 Nor does it escape my mind that the dark discoveries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      137 difficile inlustrare Latinis uersibus esse,<\/td>\n137 of the Greeks are difficult to illuminate in Latin verses,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      138 multa nouis uerbis praesertim cum sit agendum<\/td>\n138 especially when one must deal with many new words<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      139 propter egestatem linguae et rerum nouitatem;<\/td>\n139 due to the poverty of the tongue and the novelty of the subject;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      140 sed tua me uirtus tarnen et sperata uoluptas<\/td>\n140 but nevertheless your virtue and the hoped-for pleasure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      141 suauis amicitiae quemuis efferre laborem<\/td>\n141 of sweet friendship urge me to bear any labor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      5. Critical Apparatus: Testimonia and Codices<\/h2>\n
        \n
      • Lines 62\u201363:<\/b> Cited by Nonius (314, 30; 379, 12; 327, 2) regarding the ignominy of life bowed down by the burden of heavy religion.<\/li>\n
      • Line 64:<\/b> Referenced by Lactantius (Instit.<\/i> III 27, 10) regarding the “regions of heaven” (regionibus<\/i>).<\/li>\n
      • Lines 66\u201367:<\/b> Cited by Nonius (411, 2) under the entry tendere<\/i>.<\/li>\n
      • Lines 70\u201371:<\/b> Cited by Nonius (506, 36) and Priscian (X 6) regarding the narrow gates of nature (portarum claustra<\/i>).<\/li>\n
      • Lines 75\u201376:<\/b> Cited by Nonius (381, 29) regarding the limits of power.<\/li>\n
      • Line 82:<\/b> Referenced in [Prob.] de ult. syll.<\/i> and the Eclogae Sangallenses<\/i> (p. 10).<\/li>\n
      • Line 83:<\/b> Cited by Lactantius (Inst.<\/i> I 21, 14) following the Iphigenia narrative.<\/li>\n
      • Lines 84\u201385:<\/b> Cited by Priscian (VII 3) for the archaic genitive forms Triuiai<\/i> and Iphianassai<\/i>.<\/li>\n
      • Line 92:<\/b> Cited by the Scholia Veronensia<\/i> to Virgil\u2019s Aeneid<\/i> (XII 718).<\/li>\n
      • Line 101:<\/b> Famous closing of the sacrifice at Aulis, cited by Lactantius (Inst.<\/i> I 21, 14).<\/li>\n
      • Line 102:<\/b> Referenced by Servius (Aen.<\/i> IV 606) and Priscian (XII 23).<\/li>\n
      • Line 107:<\/b> Cited by Nonius (205, 8) regarding the term finem<\/i>.<\/li>\n
      • Line 112:<\/b> Referenced by Servius (Aen.<\/i> XI 230).<\/li>\n
      • Line 119:<\/b> Referenced in Eclogae Sangallenses<\/i> (p. 10).<\/li>\n
      • Line 123:<\/b> Cited by Macrobius (Sat.<\/i> VI 1, 49) for the phrasing pallentia miris<\/i>.<\/li>\n
      • Lines 134\u2013135:<\/b> Cited by Macrobius (Sat.<\/i> I. c. 48).<\/li>\n
      • Line 141:<\/b> Alluded to in Catonis disticha<\/i> (III 6, 2).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        The text established by Hermann Diels (1923) relies on the primary Carolingian manuscripts. The O<\/b> (Oblongus<\/i>, Leidensis Vossianus Lat. Fol. 30) remains the most authoritative witness, representing the beautiful minuscule script taught in the Alcuinian schools. Q<\/b> (Quadratus<\/i>, Leidensis Vossianus 94) represents a separate family, sharing an ancestor with the G<\/b> (Gottorpienses<\/i>) fragments.<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Line 66:<\/b> O<\/b> and Q<\/b> both read tollere<\/i>, which Diels retains in the primary text. Nonius, however, preserves the variant tendere<\/i>, which many editors prefer for its martial nuance.<\/li>\n
        • Line 70:<\/b> Priscian confirms effringere<\/i>, while Nonius suggests perfringere<\/i> and O<\/b> initially provides confringere<\/i>.<\/li>\n
        • Line 71:<\/b> O<\/b> and Q<\/b> originally read cuperet<\/i>, corrected to the archaic cupiret<\/i> by the O1<\/b> hand, supported by Nonius and Priscian.<\/li>\n
        • Line 84:<\/b> Orthography varies in the witnesses; Q<\/b> and G<\/b> read triuiat<\/i>, while O<\/b> provides the correct archaic genitive triuiai<\/i>.<\/li>\n
        • Line 104:<\/b> O<\/b>, Q<\/b>, and G<\/b> all read possum<\/i> (I am able<\/i>), but the emendation by Marullus to possunt<\/i> is accepted to align with the plural somnia<\/i> (dreams<\/i>).<\/li>\n
        • Line 141:<\/b> While Q<\/b> and G<\/b> read quamuis<\/i>, O<\/b> and Q<\/b> preserve quemuis<\/i>. The variant sufferre<\/i> appears in the Disticha Catonis<\/i>, but the major codices O<\/b>, Q<\/b>, and G<\/b> consistently read efferre<\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-25","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":18,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/25","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/25\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/25\/revisions\/26"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/18"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/25\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=25"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=25"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=25"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}