'Therefore this terror and darkness of the mind Not by the sun's rays, nor the bright shafts of day, Must be dispersed, as is most necessary, But by the face of nature and her laws.' Lucretius' poem On the Nature of the Universe combines a scientific and philosophical treatise with some of the greatest poetry ever written. With intense moral fervour Lucretius demonstrates to humanity that in death there is nothing to fear since the soul is mortal, and the world and everything in it is governed not by the gods, but by the mechanical laws of nature. By believing this, men can live in peace of mind and happiness. Lucretius bases his argument on the atomic theory expounded by the Greek philosopher Epicurus. His poem explores sensation, sex, cosmology, meteorology, and geology through acute observation of the beauties of the natural world and with moving sympathy for man's place in it. Sir Ronald Melville's accessible and accurate verse translation is complemented by an introduction and notes situating Lucretius' scientific theories within the thought of 1st century BCE Rome and discussing the Epicurean philosophy that was his inspiration and why the issues Lucretius' poem raisies about the scientific and poetical views of the world continue to be important. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

盧剋萊修(Lucretius，Carus約前99～前55)古羅馬詩人、哲學傢。他繼承古代原子學說，特彆是闡述並發展瞭伊壁鳩魯的哲學觀點。認為物質的存在是永恒的，提齣瞭“無物能由無中生，無物能歸於無”的唯物主義觀點。反對神創論，認為宇宙是無限的，有其自然發展的過程，人們隻要懂得瞭自然現象發生的真正原因，宗教偏見便可消失。承認世界的可知性，認為感覺是事物流射齣來的影像作用於人的感官的結果，是一切認識的基礎和來源，駁斥瞭懷疑論。認為幸福在於擺脫對神和死亡的恐懼，得到精神的安寜和心情的恬靜。著有哲學長詩《物性論》。