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"De Rerum Natura" 5.101-103: Lucretius' Application of Empedoclean Language to Epicurean Doctrine

1987; Classical Association of Canada; Volume: 41; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/1088601

1929-4883

Catherine J. Castner,

Classical Antiquity Studies

IN ADDITION TO EXPLICIT ASSERTIONS of the divine nature of both Epicurus and his discoveries, Lucretius infuses the De Rerum Natura with the suggestion that the veneration of Epicurus and his philosophy is a worthy replacement for the traditional religion.' Lucretius' fifth book examines what is mortal and human, as opposed to what is immortal and divine, specifically arguing the mortality of the cosmos against the view that a deity created a divine and immortal universe, and proclaiming the divinity of Lucretius' hero and predecessor Epicurus. The strongest assertions of Epicurus' divine status occur, not surprisingly, in the fifth proem, where Lucretius directly affirms deus ille fuit, deus (5.8) and attributes Epicurus' divinity to his discovery of philosophical wisdom. When his gifts to mankind are compared with the divina reperta of other, older gods,2 Epicurus emerges as more deserving of divine status (quo magis hic merito nobis deus esse videtur [5.19]) because his discoveries have benefited mankind more. The fifth proem ends with the rhetorical question nonne decebit / hunc hominem numero divum dignarier esse? (5.50-51). It is the godlike quality of Epicurus' teachings about nature, and especially about the gods, which makes him divine.