19 episodes
On the Nature of Things (Watson translation) by Titus Lucretius Carus (c. 99 BCE - 55 BCE) LibriVox
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- Arts
Written in the first century b.C., On the Nature of Things (in Latin, De Rerum Natura) is a poem in six books that aims at explaining the Epicurean philosophy to the Roman audience. Among digressions about the importance of philosophy in men's life and praises of Epicurus, Lucretius created a solid treatise on the atomic theory, the falseness of religion and many kinds of natural phenomena. With no harm to his philosophical scope, the author composed a didactic poem of epic flavor, of which the imagery and style are highly praised. (Summary by Leni)
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01 - Book I, pt 1 - Invocation and Dedication of the poem. Praise of Epicurus. The theory of the atom.
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02 - Book I, pt 2 - Time doesn’t have a real existence. Atoms are solid and indivisible. Attack on the theory of Empedocles.
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03 - Book 1, pt 3 - Attack on the theory of Anaxagoras. The universe is boundless, limitless and has no center. Praise of philosophy.
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04 - Book 2, pt 1 - Praise of philosophy. Properties of the atoms: weight, combination, swiftness.
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05 - Book 2, pt 2 - Attack on those who refuse the theories of Epicurus. Properties of the atoms: atoms are constantly in motion, and tend to move downwards. Figure, flavor, surface of atoms. The different kinds of atoms are many, but not infinite.
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06 - Book 2, pt 3 - Compound bodies contain atoms of different figures. The infinite number of atoms moving through infinite space creates an infinite number of bodies.
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