Lucretius
Lucretius
Titus Lucretius Caruswas a Roman poet and philosopher. His only known work is the epic philosophical poem De rerum natura about the tenets and philosophy of Epicureanism, and which is usually translated into English as On the Nature of Things...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionPoet
brother hate atheism
Rest, brother, rest. Have you done ill or well Rest, rest, There is no God, no gods who dwell Crowned with avenging righteousness on high Nor frowning ministers of their hate in hell.
evil religion
How many evils has religion caused! [Lat., Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum!]
fortune morrow doubtful
It is doubtful what fortune to-morrow will bring. [Lat., Posteraque in dubio est fortunam quam vehat aetas.]
eternity eternal universe
The sum total of all sums total is eternal (meaning the universe). [Lat., Summarum summa est aeternum.]
easier snares
It's easier to avoid the snares of love than to escape once you are in that net.
atheism life-is given
And life is given to none freehold, but it is leasehold for all.
death sleep forgotten
Nay, the greatest wits and poets, too, cease to live; Homer, their prince, sleeps now in the same forgotten sleep as do the others. [Lat., Adde repertores doctrinarum atque leporum; Adde Heliconiadum comites; quorum unus Homerus Sceptra potitus, eadem aliis sopitu quiete est.]
eye men dust
Human life lay foul before men's eyes, crushed to the dust beneath religion's weight.
food science poison
Things stand apart so far and differ, that What's food for one is poison for another.
beautiful strong men
Beauty and strength were, both of them, much esteemed; Then wealth was discovered and soon after gold Which quickly became more honoured than strength or beauty. For men, however strong or beautiful, Generally follow the train of a richer man.
eternity eternal
The sum total of all sums total is eternal.
elements return all-things
Therefore there is not anything which returns to nothing, but all things return dissolved into their elements.
matter seeds nothingness
We cannot conceive of matter being formed of nothing, since things require a seed to start from.
grief sleep matter
If the matter of death is reduced to sleep and rest, what can there be so bitter in it, that any one should pine in eternal grief for the decease of a friend?