Treasures of Lucretius - Translated by Henry S. Salt

Treasures of Lucretius, Selected Passages from the De Rerum Naturâ

Lucretius, Henry S. Salt (Translator)

  • Publisher: Watts & Co., London
  • Published: March, 1912
  • Length: 64
  • Format: Hardback

Summary

Treasures of Lucretius by Henry S. Salt is an eloquent exploration of the timeless wisdom and poetic brilliance of one of Rome’s greatest philosophers, Lucretius. Salt’s masterful translation of select passages from De Rerum Naturâ offers readers a glimpse into Lucretius’s profound meditations on nature, humanity, and the cosmos. A poet of both the heart and the mind, Lucretius speaks across the centuries with insights that remain as relevant today as they were in ancient Rome.

In this volume, Salt highlights Lucretius’s fierce opposition to superstition, his devotion to Epicurean philosophy, and his deeply empathetic portrayal of humanity’s struggles and triumphs. Through vivid and often striking imagery, Lucretius brings to life the grandeur of the natural world, all while dismantling the fears surrounding death and the afterlife. Salt’s translation, guided by a deep reverence for the original Latin, employs an irregular sequence of rhymed lines, capturing the powerful rhythms and emotional intensity of Lucretius’s verse without being constrained by rigid metre.

Critically acclaimed for its faithful rendering of Lucretius’s philosophical themes and poetic beauty, Treasures of Lucretius is a must-read for lovers of classical literature, philosophy, and poetry. Salt’s translation not only preserves the spirit of Lucretius’s work but also makes his timeless reflections accessible to modern readers, inviting them to contemplate the nature of existence with the same unflinching clarity as the Roman poet.

First Edition: March, 1912
Second Edition: August, 1912

Issued for the Rationalist Press Association Limited

Content

  • Preface
  • To Memmius
  • Invocation of Venus
  • The Curse of Superstition
  • The Solace of Philosophy
  • An Illusion of Distance
  • A Cow Mourning for her Calf
  • The War of the Atoms
  • The Boundlessness of the Universe
  • The World's Decay
  • Epicurus and the Fear of Death
  • The Eternal Rest
  • Spectres of the Dead
  • Fantasies of Colour
  • Cloud-Forms
  • Echo
  • The Pangs of Love
  • In Praise of Epicurus
  • Nature and the Gods
  • The Procession of the Seasons
  • Mother Earth
  • The Humanising of Mankind
  • The Worship of the Gods

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