William Ellery Leonard

Explore the foundations of Epicurean philosophy with Lucretius's "Of The Nature of Things," a foundational text exploring the nature of reality through the lens of atomism and materialism. This enduring work of philosophical poetry delves into the principles of Epicurus, offering a comprehensive view of the universe and humanity's place within it. Lucretius meticulously explains the atomic theory of matter, challenging conventional wisdom and proposing a universe governed by natural laws rather than divine intervention. A cornerstone of ancient philosophy, "Of The Nature of Things" provides a poetic and insightful exploration of existence, knowledge, and the pursuit of tranquility. Readers interested in the history of science, ancient philosophy, and the origins of materialism will find this work both enlightening and thought-provoking. This meticulously prepared print edition offers a timeless journey into the mind of a philosophical giant. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. We have represented this book in the same form as it was first published. Hence any marks seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

From the PREFACE. THIS translation was made at the suggestion of my friend, Dr. W. R. Newbold, Professor of Greek Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, in the hope of interesting here and there a student of thought or a lover of poetry. The introduction and notes are intended merely to illustrate the text: they touch only incidentally on the doxographical material and give thus by no means a complete account of all it is possible to know about Empedocles's philosophy. My indebtedness to the critics is frequently attested in the references, but I have in all points tried to exercise an independent judgment. Most citations from works not accessible in English are given in translation.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.