1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910462425403321

Autore

Montarese Francesco

Titolo

Lucretius and his sources [[electronic resource] ] : a study of Lucretius, "De rerum natura" I 635-920 / / Francesco Montarese

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Berlin, : De Gruyter, 2012

ISBN

1-283-85746-4

3-11-021881-X

3-11-173124-3

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (328 p.)

Collana

Sozomena, , 1869-6368 ; ; v. 12

Disciplina

871/.01

Soggetti

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- Foreword -- Table of contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1. Lucretius drew the Critique from an earlier Epicurean polemic -- Chapter 2. Books XIV and XV of Epicurus’ ΠΦ -- Chapter 3. Lucretius’ use of sources in DRN I -- Chapter 4. Lucretius in the Critique -- Appendix (A). Two stages of composition? -- Appendix (B) The format of PHerc. 1148 (ΠΦ XIV) and PHerc. 1151 (ΠΦ XV) -- Appendix (C) Do Epicurus’ Ad Herodotum and Ad Pythoclem reflect continuous books of ΠΦ? -- Abbreviations -- Bibliography -- Indices

Sommario/riassunto

This book discusses Lucretius’ refutation of Heraclitus, Empedocles, Anaxagoras and other, unnamed thinkers in De Rerum Natura 1, 635-920. Chapter 1 argues that in DRN I 635-920 Lucretius was following an Epicurean source, which in turn depended on Theophrastean doxography. Chapter 2 shows that books 14 and 15 of Epicurus’ On Nature were not Lucretius’ source-text. Chapter 3 discusses how lines 635-920 fit in the structure of book 1 and whether Lucretius’ source is more likely to have been Epicurus himself or a neo-Epicurean. Chapter 4 focuses on Lucretius’ own additions to the material he derived from his sources and on his poetical and rhetorical contributions, which were extensive. Lucretius shows an understanding of philosophical points by adapting his poetical devices to the philosophical arguments. Chapter 4 also argues that Lucretius anticipates philosophical points in what have



often been regarded as the ‘purple passages’ of his poem - e.g. the invocation of Venus in the proem, and the description of Sicily and Aetna - so that he could take them up later on in his narrative and provide an adequate explanation of reality.