On The Nature Of Things

Lucretius’ theology is extremely unconventional for his time. What does Lucretius tell us about the nature of the gods and their role in our lives? Do you think his theology is clear and consistent, or does he leave some questions unanswered?

How does Lucretius portray the philosopher Epicurus in this work? How does his portrayal of Epicurus contribute to the important lessons of the poem?

Occasionally, Lucretius will digress from his scientific arguments and launch into highly poetic language. What do these digressions accomplish?

Lucretius combines the genres of philosophy and epic poetry in this work. Why does he do this? Is this an effective combination?

Though Lucretius discusses a wide variety of natural phenomena in this work, it’s impossible for him to cover them all. Can you think of anything that is missing from his arguments? How would this phenomenon fit into the Epicurean model of the universe?

On the Nature of Things ends abruptly with a detailed discussion of the Athenian plague. How does this passage fit in with the message of the rest of the work?

Choose one of the following topics covered in On the Nature of Things and evaluate Lucretius’ argument about it. Summarize what Lucretius says about it, and then discuss the strengths and weaknesses of his arguments on the topic.

a.  Atoms

b.  Astronomy

c.  Mind and spirit

d. The senses

One of Lucretius’ main arguments is that we should not fear death. Why not? What are the consequences when we do fear death?