{"id":91,"date":"2026-06-15T17:00:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T16:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/chapter\/pressbooks-oer-module-lucretius-de-rerum-natura-book-v-1241-1457\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T14:34:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T13:34:32","slug":"pressbooks-oer-module-lucretius-de-rerum-natura-book-v-1241-1457","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/chapter\/pressbooks-oer-module-lucretius-de-rerum-natura-book-v-1241-1457\/","title":{"raw":"Lucretius, De rerum natura, Book V (1241\u20131457)","rendered":"Lucretius, De rerum natura, Book V (1241\u20131457)"},"content":{"raw":"
\n
1. Introductory Context: The Magic of Causal Connectedness<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/header>The hexameters of Lucretius continue to work a particular \u201cmagic\u201d upon those who refuse to be entirely submerged by the prevailing spirit of our age. In his 1924 foreword to the edition by Hermann Diels, Albert Einstein characterized Lucretius as an \u201cindependent man equipped with lively senses and reasoning,\u201d possessing a scientific and speculative curiosity that remains \u201caltogether moving.\u201d Einstein was struck by Lucretius\u2019 \u201cfirm confidence\u201d in the \u201ccausal connectedness\u201d (or causal interconnection) of the world\u2014the conviction that natural phenomena are not governed by the caprice of gods but by the regular motion of immutable atoms. Beyond the physics, Einstein noted a \u201cnoble sentiment\u201d in Lucretius\u2019 profound reverence for Greek culture and language, a sentiment Einstein poignantly contrasted with the fractured nationalism of the modern era.\n\nThis historical transmission of Epicurean thought is sustained by what David Attenborough describes as \u201cmemes\u201d\u2014the physical vehicles of human experience and wisdom handed down through generations. Attenborough identifies the 1515 Aldine edition of Lucretius, printed by Aldus Manutius in Venice, as a crucial link in this chain. For Attenborough, the \u201cwonderfully elegant italic script\u201d of this small octavo volume\u2014the 16th-century equivalent of a modern paperback\u2014carries a visceral power. The \u201csmell of printers\u2019 ink\u201d and the \u201cfeel of print on paper\u201d ground the abstract\u00a0atomistic-mechanical<\/i>\u00a0worldview in a tangible historical artifact.\n\nThis module focuses on Book V, lines 1241\u20131457, a section detailing the discovery of metals, the transition from bronze to iron, the brutal evolution of warfare, and the subsequent rise of civilization and the arts.\n

2. Parallel Text: The Evolution of Industry and Warfare<\/h2>\nThe Latin text follows the 1923 Berlin edition by Hermann Diels.\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\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\n\n
Latin Text (De rerum natura<\/i>, V)<\/td>\nEnglish Translation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
### QVEMADMODVM AVRVM ARGENTVM PLVMBVM REPERTVM SIT<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1241 Quod superest, aes atque aurum ferrumque repertumst<\/td>\nFor the rest, copper and gold and iron were discovered,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et argenti pondus plumbique potestas,<\/td>\nas well as the weight of silver and the power of lead,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ignis ubi ingentis siluas ardore cremarat<\/td>\nwhen burning fire had consumed vast forests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ualidis cum uiribus alta pergalis,<\/td>\nwith its mighty strength upon high mountains,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1245 seu caeli fulmine misso,<\/td>\nwhether by a bolt of lightning sent from heaven,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
siue quod inter se bellum siluestre gerentes<\/td>\nor because, waging woodland war among themselves,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
hostibus intulerant ignem formidinis ergo,<\/td>\nmen had brought fire upon their foes to strike fear,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
siue quad inducti terrae bonitate uolebant<\/td>\nor because, led by the goodness of the soil, they wished<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
pandere agros pinguis et pascua reddere rura,<\/td>\nto clear rich fields and turn the countryside to pasture,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1250 ad satias uel feras atque ipsos pascere praeda;<\/td>\nor to kill wild beasts and enrich themselves with prey;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
nam fouea atque igni prius est uenarier ortum<\/td>\nfor hunting with pitfall and fire arose<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
quam saepire plagas saltum canibusque ciere.<\/td>\nbefore hedging the glade with nets or rousng it with dogs.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
quod cumque e causast, quocumque ardoris odore<\/td>\nWhatever the cause, with whatever smell of heat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
peruecti uastis siluis cum ferueret ignis<\/td>\nthe fire had raged through the vast forests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1255 flammis e radicibus imis,<\/td>\nwith its flames from the lowest roots,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
excoctas tereas fluebat et in loca terrae<\/td>\nit boiled the earth and into the hollow places<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
concaua uenis feruentibus in manabat<\/td>\nit flowed from the seething veins and trickled<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
argenti riuus et auri, item plumbi atque diei.<\/td>\na stream of silver and gold, likewise of lead and copper.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
quae cum indurata uiderent post specie nitida<\/td>\nWhen they saw these afterward hardened in bright color<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1260 terra fulgere, capiebant dulcedine capti,<\/td>\nshining on the ground, they were taken with the sweetness,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et simili formata uidebant esse figura<\/td>\nand they saw them formed in a shape similar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
atque lacunarum fuerant uestigia cuique.<\/td>\nto the marks of the hollows where each had been.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
tum penetrabat eos posse haec liquefacta calore<\/td>\nThen it pierced them that these, liquefied by heat,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
quam libet in formam et faciem decurrere rerum<\/td>\ncould run into any form and shape of things<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1265 et prorsum quam uis in acuta ac tenuia posse<\/td>\nand could be hammered out into points as sharp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
mucronum duci procudendoque parari,<\/td>\nand thin as one might wish, by forging them,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ut sibi tela darent, siluas ut caedere possent<\/td>\nso they might provide tools for themselves to fell forests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
materiemque dolare et leuia dedolare,<\/td>\nand hew timber and plane it smooth,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et terebrare etiam ac pertundere perque forare.<\/td>\nand also to drill and punch and bore through.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1270 haec eadem ferrum primum non minus argento<\/td>\nAnd they first attempted to do these same things<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
auroque in grediuntur, sed uicta facultas;<\/td>\nwith iron no less than with silver and gold, but the power failed;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
nam minus in ualidis poterat durare uigorem.<\/td>\nfor its vigor could less endure the violent strain.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
nam fuit in pretio magis aes, aurumque iacebat<\/td>\nFor bronze was then more prized, and gold lay neglected<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
propter inutilitatem hebeti mucrone retunsum.<\/td>\non account of its uselessness, blunted with a dull edge.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1275 nunc iacet aes, aurum in summum successit honorem.<\/td>\nNow bronze lies neglected, and gold has risen to highest honor.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sic uoluenda aetas commutat tempora rerum:<\/td>\nThus rolling time changes the seasons of things:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
quod fuit in pretio, fit nullo denique honore;<\/td>\nwhat was prized becomes at last of no honor;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
porro aliud succedit et e contemptibus exit<\/td>\nthen another thing succeeds and emerges from contempt,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
inque dies magis adpetitur floretque repertum<\/td>\nand day by day is more sought after and blooms, once found,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1280 laudibus et mira est in mortalibus in pretio.<\/td>\nwith praises and is held in wonderful honor among mortals.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
### QVEMADMODVM FERRVM INVENTVM SIT<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1281 Nunc quoniam est uolgata ferri natura reperta,<\/td>\nNow, since the nature of iron is found and made common,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et quo pacto armorum fuerit primordia primum<\/td>\nand in what way the beginnings of arms first<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
in usu, nudo ueluti de corpore docui.<\/td>\ncame into use, I have taught as if from a naked body.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
arma antiqua manus ungues dentesque fuerunt<\/td>\nAncient arms were hands, nails, and teeth,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1285 et lapides et item siluarum fragmina rami,<\/td>\nand stones and also fragments of branches from the woods,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et flamma atque ignes, postquam sunt cognita primum.<\/td>\nand flame and fires, after they were first known.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
posterius ferri uis est aerisque reperta.<\/td>\nLater the power of iron and bronze was discovered.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et prior aeris erat quam ferri cognitus usus,<\/td>\nAnd the use of bronze was known before that of iron,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
quo facilis magis est natura et copia maior.<\/td>\nas its nature is more tractable and its supply greater.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1290 aere solum terrae tractabant, aereque belli<\/td>\nWith bronze they worked the soil, and with bronze<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
miscebant fluctus et uolnera uasta serebant<\/td>\nthey stirred the waves of war and sowed vast wounds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et pecus adimebant agrosque; namque omnia nuda<\/td>\nand took away cattle and lands; for everything naked<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et armatis facile et uictoribus omnia cedunt.<\/td>\nand unarmed yields easily to the armed and the victors.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
inde minutatim ferreus prorepsit ensis<\/td>\nThen by degrees the iron sword crept forward<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1295 et falcis sicilisque erat aes incontemptum,<\/td>\nand the bronze sickle became a thing of contempt,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et ferro coepere solum proscindere terrae<\/td>\nand with iron they began to cleave the soil of the earth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
exaequataque sunt creperi certamina belli.<\/td>\nand the contests of wavering war were made equal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et prius est armatum in equis adscendere latus<\/td>\nAnd it is an older thing to mount an armed flank on a horse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
et moderarier hunc frenis dextraque uigere<\/td>\nand to guide it with reins and show prowess with the right hand<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1300 quam biiugo curru belli temptare pericla.<\/td>\nthan to tempt the perils of war in a two-horse chariot.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2026<\/td>\n\u2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1455 namque alid ex alio clarescere et ordine debet<\/td>\nFor one thing must grow clear from another in order<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
artibus, ad summum donec uenere cacumen.<\/td>\nin the arts, until they have reached the highest peak.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1457<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

3. Critical Apparatus<\/h2>\nThe textual history of\u00a0De rerum natura<\/i>\u00a0is a narrative of survival against the \u201cslavish fear\u201d of the medieval period, a rediscovery sparked by the humanist Poggio Bracciolini. In 1417, Poggio located a manuscript (likely at Murbach or Fulda) and sent a transcript to Niccol\u00f2 Niccoli in Florence. This \u201cPoggiano\u201d tradition constitutes a third branch alongside the 9th-century Carolingian manuscripts.\n

Testimonia<\/h3>\nWhile general accolades for Lucretius\u2019 genius are found in Vitruvius (De Architectura<\/i>\u00a0IX Praef. 16) and Ovid (Amores<\/i>\u00a0I 15, 22), the specific lines 1241\u20131457 have been cited for their pioneering anthropological insights, often compared by later scholars to the stages of human development described in Thucydides\u2019\u00a0Archaeology<\/i>.\n

Codices (Sigla)<\/h3>\n
    \n \t
  • O (Oblongus):<\/b>\u00a0Leidensis Vossianus Latinus Fol. 30<\/i>. 9th century, Mainz.<\/li>\n \t
  • Q (Quadratus):<\/b>\u00a0Leidensis Vossianus Quadratus 94<\/i>. 9th century, St. Bertin.<\/li>\n \t
  • G (Gottorpienses):<\/b>\u00a0Schedae Haunienses<\/i>. Fragments of the 9th-century tradition in Copenhagen.<\/li>\n \t
  • V\/U (Schedae Vindobonenses):<\/b>\u00a09th-century fragments held in Vienna, cognate with G.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Apparatus Criticus (Selected Variants: 1241\u20131302)<\/h3>\n
      \n \t
    • 1241:<\/b>\u00a0repertumst<\/i>\u00a0O :\u00a0repertum est<\/i>\u00a0Q.<\/li>\n \t
    • 1244:<\/b>\u00a0ualida<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0ualidae<\/i>\u00a0O1.<\/li>\n \t
    • 1258:<\/b>\u00a0item<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0itum<\/i>\u00a0Q1.<\/li>\n \t
    • 1262:<\/b>\u00a0cohibere<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0conhibere<\/i>\u00a0O1.<\/li>\n \t
    • 1267:<\/b>\u00a0caedere<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0cedere<\/i>\u00a0G.<\/li>\n \t
    • 1272:<\/b>\u00a0durare<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0durari<\/i>\u00a0Lambinus.<\/li>\n \t
    • 1281:<\/b>\u00a0ferri<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0ferre<\/i>\u00a0Q1.<\/li>\n \t
    • 1294:<\/b>\u00a0minutatim<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0minutim<\/i>\u00a0O1.<\/li>\n \t
    • 1302:<\/b>\u00a0Lucanias<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0Lucanas<\/i>\u00a0Q1.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      4. Technical Specifications & Usage<\/h2>\nThis OER module is designed for the Pressbooks platform, prioritizing the material history of the text as an \u201cobject-as-data.\u201d\n
        \n \t
      • Source Attribution:<\/b>\u00a0The primary Latin text and apparatus are transcribed and edited from Hermann Diels\u2019 authoritative Berlin edition:\u00a0T. Lucreti Cari De rerum natura libri sex<\/i>\u00a0(Vol. 1, 1923; Vol. 2, 1924), published by Weidmannsche Buchhandlung.<\/li>\n \t
      • Digital Artifact Reference:<\/b>\u00a0Learners are encouraged to view the 1515 Aldine edition through the SFU Digital Collections (Classification: PA 6482 A2 1515).\n
          \n \t
        • Physical Dimensions:<\/b>\u00a091 x 160 mm.<\/li>\n \t
        • Extent:<\/b>\u00a0266 pages.<\/li>\n \t
        • Format:<\/b>\u00a0Octavo.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n \t
        • Markdown Constraints:<\/b>\u00a0This document utilizes standard Markdown for cross-platform compatibility. Specialized terms such as\u00a0memes<\/i>,\u00a0atomistic-mechanical<\/i>, and\u00a0sigla<\/i>\u00a0are italicized. Diacritics within the Latin text and apparatus follow the Diels standard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","rendered":"
          \n
          1. Introductory Context: The Magic of Causal Connectedness<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/header>\n

          The hexameters of Lucretius continue to work a particular \u201cmagic\u201d upon those who refuse to be entirely submerged by the prevailing spirit of our age. In his 1924 foreword to the edition by Hermann Diels, Albert Einstein characterized Lucretius as an \u201cindependent man equipped with lively senses and reasoning,\u201d possessing a scientific and speculative curiosity that remains \u201caltogether moving.\u201d Einstein was struck by Lucretius\u2019 \u201cfirm confidence\u201d in the \u201ccausal connectedness\u201d (or causal interconnection) of the world\u2014the conviction that natural phenomena are not governed by the caprice of gods but by the regular motion of immutable atoms. Beyond the physics, Einstein noted a \u201cnoble sentiment\u201d in Lucretius\u2019 profound reverence for Greek culture and language, a sentiment Einstein poignantly contrasted with the fractured nationalism of the modern era.<\/p>\n

          This historical transmission of Epicurean thought is sustained by what David Attenborough describes as \u201cmemes\u201d\u2014the physical vehicles of human experience and wisdom handed down through generations. Attenborough identifies the 1515 Aldine edition of Lucretius, printed by Aldus Manutius in Venice, as a crucial link in this chain. For Attenborough, the \u201cwonderfully elegant italic script\u201d of this small octavo volume\u2014the 16th-century equivalent of a modern paperback\u2014carries a visceral power. The \u201csmell of printers\u2019 ink\u201d and the \u201cfeel of print on paper\u201d ground the abstract\u00a0atomistic-mechanical<\/i>\u00a0worldview in a tangible historical artifact.<\/p>\n

          This module focuses on Book V, lines 1241\u20131457, a section detailing the discovery of metals, the transition from bronze to iron, the brutal evolution of warfare, and the subsequent rise of civilization and the arts.<\/p>\n

          2. Parallel Text: The Evolution of Industry and Warfare<\/h2>\n

          The Latin text follows the 1923 Berlin edition by Hermann Diels.<\/p>\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\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\n\n
          Latin Text (De rerum natura<\/i>, V)<\/td>\nEnglish Translation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          ### QVEMADMODVM AVRVM ARGENTVM PLVMBVM REPERTVM SIT<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1241 Quod superest, aes atque aurum ferrumque repertumst<\/td>\nFor the rest, copper and gold and iron were discovered,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et argenti pondus plumbique potestas,<\/td>\nas well as the weight of silver and the power of lead,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          ignis ubi ingentis siluas ardore cremarat<\/td>\nwhen burning fire had consumed vast forests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          ualidis cum uiribus alta pergalis,<\/td>\nwith its mighty strength upon high mountains,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1245 seu caeli fulmine misso,<\/td>\nwhether by a bolt of lightning sent from heaven,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          siue quod inter se bellum siluestre gerentes<\/td>\nor because, waging woodland war among themselves,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          hostibus intulerant ignem formidinis ergo,<\/td>\nmen had brought fire upon their foes to strike fear,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          siue quad inducti terrae bonitate uolebant<\/td>\nor because, led by the goodness of the soil, they wished<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          pandere agros pinguis et pascua reddere rura,<\/td>\nto clear rich fields and turn the countryside to pasture,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1250 ad satias uel feras atque ipsos pascere praeda;<\/td>\nor to kill wild beasts and enrich themselves with prey;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          nam fouea atque igni prius est uenarier ortum<\/td>\nfor hunting with pitfall and fire arose<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          quam saepire plagas saltum canibusque ciere.<\/td>\nbefore hedging the glade with nets or rousng it with dogs.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          quod cumque e causast, quocumque ardoris odore<\/td>\nWhatever the cause, with whatever smell of heat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          peruecti uastis siluis cum ferueret ignis<\/td>\nthe fire had raged through the vast forests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1255 flammis e radicibus imis,<\/td>\nwith its flames from the lowest roots,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          excoctas tereas fluebat et in loca terrae<\/td>\nit boiled the earth and into the hollow places<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          concaua uenis feruentibus in manabat<\/td>\nit flowed from the seething veins and trickled<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          argenti riuus et auri, item plumbi atque diei.<\/td>\na stream of silver and gold, likewise of lead and copper.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          quae cum indurata uiderent post specie nitida<\/td>\nWhen they saw these afterward hardened in bright color<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1260 terra fulgere, capiebant dulcedine capti,<\/td>\nshining on the ground, they were taken with the sweetness,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et simili formata uidebant esse figura<\/td>\nand they saw them formed in a shape similar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          atque lacunarum fuerant uestigia cuique.<\/td>\nto the marks of the hollows where each had been.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          tum penetrabat eos posse haec liquefacta calore<\/td>\nThen it pierced them that these, liquefied by heat,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          quam libet in formam et faciem decurrere rerum<\/td>\ncould run into any form and shape of things<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1265 et prorsum quam uis in acuta ac tenuia posse<\/td>\nand could be hammered out into points as sharp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          mucronum duci procudendoque parari,<\/td>\nand thin as one might wish, by forging them,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          ut sibi tela darent, siluas ut caedere possent<\/td>\nso they might provide tools for themselves to fell forests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          materiemque dolare et leuia dedolare,<\/td>\nand hew timber and plane it smooth,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et terebrare etiam ac pertundere perque forare.<\/td>\nand also to drill and punch and bore through.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1270 haec eadem ferrum primum non minus argento<\/td>\nAnd they first attempted to do these same things<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          auroque in grediuntur, sed uicta facultas;<\/td>\nwith iron no less than with silver and gold, but the power failed;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          nam minus in ualidis poterat durare uigorem.<\/td>\nfor its vigor could less endure the violent strain.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          nam fuit in pretio magis aes, aurumque iacebat<\/td>\nFor bronze was then more prized, and gold lay neglected<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          propter inutilitatem hebeti mucrone retunsum.<\/td>\non account of its uselessness, blunted with a dull edge.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1275 nunc iacet aes, aurum in summum successit honorem.<\/td>\nNow bronze lies neglected, and gold has risen to highest honor.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          sic uoluenda aetas commutat tempora rerum:<\/td>\nThus rolling time changes the seasons of things:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          quod fuit in pretio, fit nullo denique honore;<\/td>\nwhat was prized becomes at last of no honor;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          porro aliud succedit et e contemptibus exit<\/td>\nthen another thing succeeds and emerges from contempt,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          inque dies magis adpetitur floretque repertum<\/td>\nand day by day is more sought after and blooms, once found,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1280 laudibus et mira est in mortalibus in pretio.<\/td>\nwith praises and is held in wonderful honor among mortals.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          ### QVEMADMODVM FERRVM INVENTVM SIT<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1281 Nunc quoniam est uolgata ferri natura reperta,<\/td>\nNow, since the nature of iron is found and made common,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et quo pacto armorum fuerit primordia primum<\/td>\nand in what way the beginnings of arms first<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          in usu, nudo ueluti de corpore docui.<\/td>\ncame into use, I have taught as if from a naked body.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          arma antiqua manus ungues dentesque fuerunt<\/td>\nAncient arms were hands, nails, and teeth,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1285 et lapides et item siluarum fragmina rami,<\/td>\nand stones and also fragments of branches from the woods,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et flamma atque ignes, postquam sunt cognita primum.<\/td>\nand flame and fires, after they were first known.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          posterius ferri uis est aerisque reperta.<\/td>\nLater the power of iron and bronze was discovered.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et prior aeris erat quam ferri cognitus usus,<\/td>\nAnd the use of bronze was known before that of iron,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          quo facilis magis est natura et copia maior.<\/td>\nas its nature is more tractable and its supply greater.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1290 aere solum terrae tractabant, aereque belli<\/td>\nWith bronze they worked the soil, and with bronze<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          miscebant fluctus et uolnera uasta serebant<\/td>\nthey stirred the waves of war and sowed vast wounds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et pecus adimebant agrosque; namque omnia nuda<\/td>\nand took away cattle and lands; for everything naked<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et armatis facile et uictoribus omnia cedunt.<\/td>\nand unarmed yields easily to the armed and the victors.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          inde minutatim ferreus prorepsit ensis<\/td>\nThen by degrees the iron sword crept forward<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1295 et falcis sicilisque erat aes incontemptum,<\/td>\nand the bronze sickle became a thing of contempt,<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et ferro coepere solum proscindere terrae<\/td>\nand with iron they began to cleave the soil of the earth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          exaequataque sunt creperi certamina belli.<\/td>\nand the contests of wavering war were made equal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et prius est armatum in equis adscendere latus<\/td>\nAnd it is an older thing to mount an armed flank on a horse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          et moderarier hunc frenis dextraque uigere<\/td>\nand to guide it with reins and show prowess with the right hand<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1300 quam biiugo curru belli temptare pericla.<\/td>\nthan to tempt the perils of war in a two-horse chariot.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          \u2026<\/td>\n\u2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1455 namque alid ex alio clarescere et ordine debet<\/td>\nFor one thing must grow clear from another in order<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          artibus, ad summum donec uenere cacumen.<\/td>\nin the arts, until they have reached the highest peak.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          1457<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

          3. Critical Apparatus<\/h2>\n

          The textual history of\u00a0De rerum natura<\/i>\u00a0is a narrative of survival against the \u201cslavish fear\u201d of the medieval period, a rediscovery sparked by the humanist Poggio Bracciolini. In 1417, Poggio located a manuscript (likely at Murbach or Fulda) and sent a transcript to Niccol\u00f2 Niccoli in Florence. This \u201cPoggiano\u201d tradition constitutes a third branch alongside the 9th-century Carolingian manuscripts.<\/p>\n

          Testimonia<\/h3>\n

          While general accolades for Lucretius\u2019 genius are found in Vitruvius (De Architectura<\/i>\u00a0IX Praef. 16) and Ovid (Amores<\/i>\u00a0I 15, 22), the specific lines 1241\u20131457 have been cited for their pioneering anthropological insights, often compared by later scholars to the stages of human development described in Thucydides\u2019\u00a0Archaeology<\/i>.<\/p>\n

          Codices (Sigla)<\/h3>\n
            \n
          • O (Oblongus):<\/b>\u00a0Leidensis Vossianus Latinus Fol. 30<\/i>. 9th century, Mainz.<\/li>\n
          • Q (Quadratus):<\/b>\u00a0Leidensis Vossianus Quadratus 94<\/i>. 9th century, St. Bertin.<\/li>\n
          • G (Gottorpienses):<\/b>\u00a0Schedae Haunienses<\/i>. Fragments of the 9th-century tradition in Copenhagen.<\/li>\n
          • V\/U (Schedae Vindobonenses):<\/b>\u00a09th-century fragments held in Vienna, cognate with G.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Apparatus Criticus (Selected Variants: 1241\u20131302)<\/h3>\n
              \n
            • 1241:<\/b>\u00a0repertumst<\/i>\u00a0O :\u00a0repertum est<\/i>\u00a0Q.<\/li>\n
            • 1244:<\/b>\u00a0ualida<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0ualidae<\/i>\u00a0O1.<\/li>\n
            • 1258:<\/b>\u00a0item<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0itum<\/i>\u00a0Q1.<\/li>\n
            • 1262:<\/b>\u00a0cohibere<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0conhibere<\/i>\u00a0O1.<\/li>\n
            • 1267:<\/b>\u00a0caedere<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0cedere<\/i>\u00a0G.<\/li>\n
            • 1272:<\/b>\u00a0durare<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0durari<\/i>\u00a0Lambinus.<\/li>\n
            • 1281:<\/b>\u00a0ferri<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0ferre<\/i>\u00a0Q1.<\/li>\n
            • 1294:<\/b>\u00a0minutatim<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0minutim<\/i>\u00a0O1.<\/li>\n
            • 1302:<\/b>\u00a0Lucanias<\/i>\u00a0OQ :\u00a0Lucanas<\/i>\u00a0Q1.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              4. Technical Specifications & Usage<\/h2>\n

              This OER module is designed for the Pressbooks platform, prioritizing the material history of the text as an \u201cobject-as-data.\u201d<\/p>\n

                \n
              • Source Attribution:<\/b>\u00a0The primary Latin text and apparatus are transcribed and edited from Hermann Diels\u2019 authoritative Berlin edition:\u00a0T. Lucreti Cari De rerum natura libri sex<\/i>\u00a0(Vol. 1, 1923; Vol. 2, 1924), published by Weidmannsche Buchhandlung.<\/li>\n
              • Digital Artifact Reference:<\/b>\u00a0Learners are encouraged to view the 1515 Aldine edition through the SFU Digital Collections (Classification: PA 6482 A2 1515).\n
                  \n
                • Physical Dimensions:<\/b>\u00a091 x 160 mm.<\/li>\n
                • Extent:<\/b>\u00a0266 pages.<\/li>\n
                • Format:<\/b>\u00a0Octavo.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                • Markdown Constraints:<\/b>\u00a0This document utilizes standard Markdown for cross-platform compatibility. Specialized terms such as\u00a0memes<\/i>,\u00a0atomistic-mechanical<\/i>, and\u00a0sigla<\/i>\u00a0are italicized. Diacritics within the Latin text and apparatus follow the Diels standard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"menu_order":37,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-91","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":18,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/91","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\/91\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/91\/revisions\/92"}],"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\/91\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=91"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=91"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.psgaesthetics.uk\/lucretius\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=91"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}