This is the single most important source for [[Epicureanism]], and ranks as one of the greatest achievements of both Roman philosophy and Latin poetry. Generally Lucretius is ranked with, or second to, [[Virgil]], as one of the finest of all Latin poets, and indeed Virgil, himself a former Epicurean, was heavily indebted to him as an inspiration and a source.
Very little is known directly about Lucretius' life. The only contemporary reference to him is in [[Cicero]]’s letter of Feb. 54 BC to his brother Quintus (''QFr''. 2.10(9).3) in which he praises the poems of Lucretius for showing flashes of genius and great artistry. This suggests strongly that ''De Rerum Natura '' was already published by this date.
''De Rerum Natura '' has been one of the most influential of all works of ancient philosophy in the Western world, and was for long the main source for knowledge of Epicureanism. As such it has been one of the chief representatives of the anti-teleological view of the [[Universe]]: a view which denies any purpose in the world, and removes from the gods any authority or role in human affairs. In Epicureanism, there is no fate or pre-destination and any divine plan for the world is denied. All things happen through chance and physical necessity, but even physical determinism is rejected, and [[free will]] placed at the centre of the ethics. Thus, Lucretius has been one of the foremost influences in the development of the [[liberal]] temper in Western thought. He was deeply involved in the rise of Renaissance [[Humanism]], and later strongly informed the work of [[Erasmus]], [[Montaigne]], [[Rousseau]], [[Gassendi]], and others. Lucretius’ fiercely anti-religious polemics and his anti-teleological account of creation inspired many anti-Lucretian [[Christian]] works, among them Sir [[Richard Blackmore]]’s ''Creation'' of 1712 and [[Cardinal Polignac]]’s ''Anti-Lucretius'' of 1745. His account of the origin of life by the random formation of creatures without any divine plan, and adaptation of species by extinctions in a struggle for life, remained the chief opponent of the [[creationist]] view until supplanted in the role by [[Darwin]]’s [[Origin of Species]] in 1859. There has recently been an upsurge of interest in ancient theories of the origin of species, exemplified by publications such as Gordon Campbell's ''Lucretius on Creation and Evolution'' (Oxford, 2003), and David Sedley's ''Creationism and its Critics in Antiquity'' (Berkeley, 2007). Dvid Sedley's book is particularly valuable for the ancient perspective it offers on creationist theories.
[[Category:Roman History]]
[[category:Philosophers]]
[[category:Poets]]