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ON THE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE

Bibliography:

The purpose of this bibliography is to indicate to the curious and the studious where further help and discussion can be obtained on the detailed questions provoked by this poem. Exhausting as it may appear, it makes no claims to being exhaustive, and most individual items will suggest further reading in their own bibliographies. Lucretius is an encyclopedic writer whose work raises questions in many different spheres, and people read him both for philosophical and for literary reasons: I have therefore tried to list items that are of interest in both fields. The more accessible items I have marked with an asterisk, and in the case of less accessible items I have occasionally indicated where an informative review can be found.

Works of Reference:

The Oxford Classical Dictionary (2nd edition, Oxford 1970) *Robert Graves The Greek Myths (2 vols., Harmondsworth 1955)

Texts:

The most accessible text of Epicurus is to be found in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers vol. 1. (Loeb Classical Library, with facing English translation by R. D. Hicks, London and Cambridge, Mass., 1925). The best text of Epicurus is Arrighetti: Epicuro, Opere (2nd edition, Torino 1973), with Italian translation and notes. Still useful is Bailey's Epicurus: The Extant Remains (Oxford 1926), with translation and commentary.

For the texts of the Presocratic philosophers, see: Kirk, Raven and Schofield: The Presocratic Philosophers (2nd edition, Cambridge 1983, usually abbreviated to KRS), with English translation and full discussion. The standard edition of all the known fragments is still H. Diels: Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker (6th edition, revised W. Kranz, Berlin 1952) (usually abbreviated to D-K). All the main texts relating to Hellenistic philosophy are to be found, with full text, translation and commentary) in Long and Sedley: The Hellenistic Philosophers (2 vols., Cambridge 1987). The most accessible text of Sextus Empiricus is still to be found in the Loeb Classical Library (edited by R. G. Bury, 4 vols. 1933-49), and the most accessible English edition of the main Sceptic texts with full discussion is to be found in J. Annas and J. Barnes: The Modes of Scepticism (Cambridge 1985).

Most other ancient texts referred to in the Introduction, Notes and Appendices are available in English versions. The Penguin Classics series includes translations of all works mentioned except the following, which are available in the Loeb Classical Library series with English translation facing the original text.

Aratus Phaenomena (in: Callimachus: Hymns)
Aristotle Physics, Metaphysics, On Coming into Being; Natural History, On the Movements of Animals, Meteorology, On the Heavens.
Callimachus Aetia, Hecale etc.
Cicero Brutus, For Flaccus, Letters to his Friends, Letters to his brother Quintus, On Divination, On Duties, On the Nature of the Gods, Prior Academics, Tusculan Disputations, Verrine Orations
Diodorus Siculus
Ennius (in: Remains of Old Latin vol. 1)
Galen On Temperaments
Homeric Hymns in: Hesiod & Homeric Hymns
Lucian Conversations of Prostitutes
Plato Axiochus, Cratylus
Pliny Natural History
Plutarch Against Epicurean Happiness (in: Moralia vol. XIV) On hearing poets (in: Moralia vol. 1)
Seneca Natural History
Suetonius On Grammarians
Theognis (in: Greek Elegy and Iambus vol. 1)
Theophrastus Characters
Vitruvius On Architecture

The two texts not published by Penguin and/or Loeb are as follows:
Aetius in: Diels Doxographi Graeci (1879) 273-444
Nicander Fragments ed. A. S. F. Gow and A. F. Scholfield, Cambridge 1953

Major Editions of Lucretius' De Rerum Natura:

Editio AIdina ( A ancius) Venice 1500
Editio Juntina (Candidus) Florence 1512
Lambinus, D. (Paris 1563-4,1565,1570; Frankfurt 1583)
Lachmann, K. (Berlin 1850)
Munro, H. A. J. (Cambridge 1864,1866,1873,1886)
Giussani, C. (Torino 1896-8)
Bailey, C. (Oxford Classical Text, 1900, 1922) (OCT)
Leonard-Smith (Madison 1942)
Bailey, C. (3 vols. Oxford 1947)
Ernout-Robin (Bude, 2nd edition, Paris 1962)
Martin, J. (Teubner, 5th edition, Leipzig 1963)
Smith, M. F. (Loeb Classical Library, London and Cambridge, Mass.1975)
Muller, K. (Zurich 1975)

Editions of Single Books of De Rerum Natura:

Book I, edited by P. Michael Brown (Bristol 1984)
Book 3, edited by R. Heinze (Leipzig 1897)
Book 3, edited by E. J. Kenney (Cambridge 1971)
Book 4, edited by J. Godwin (Warminster 1986)
Book 5, edited by C. D. N. Costa (Oxford 1985)
Book 6, edited by J. Godwin (Warminster 1991)

On the General Philosophical Background, See:

Barnes, J. The Presocratic Philosophers (2nd edition, London 1982)
Long, A. A. Hellenistic Philosophy (2nd edition, London 1986) (reviewed by R. B. Todd, Phoenix 29 (1975) 295'-9)
Sharples, R. W. Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics (London 1996)

On Epicureanism in Particular, See Also:

Bailey, C. The Greek Atomists and Epicurus (Oxford 1928)
de Witt, N. W. Epicurus and his Philosophy (Minneapolis 1954)
Diano, C. Scritti Epicurei (Florence 1974)
Frischer, B. The Sculpted Word: Epicureanism and philosophical
recruitment in Ancient Greece
(Berkeley/Los Angeles 1982)
Gigon, O. 'Zur Psychologie Epikurs' in: Aspects de la Philosophie
Hellenistique
(Fondations Hardt Entretiens) 32 (1986) 67-98
*Jones, H. The Epicurean Tradition (London 1989)
Mitsis, P. Epicurus' Ethical Theory; the Pleasures of Invulnerability (Cornell 1988)
Momigliano, A: review of Farrington: Science and Politics in the Ancient World: Journal of Roman Studies 31 (1941) 149-57
Nussbaum, M. C. The Therapy of Desire:  Theory and Practice in Hellinistic Ethics (Princeton 1994)
Obbink, N. Philodemus and Poetry (Oxford 1995)
Paratore, E. 'La Problematica sull'epicureismo a Roma' in Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt (ed. Temporini) vol. I.4 (1973) 116-204
Rist, J. M. Epicurus, an Introduction (Cambridge 1972)
Schmid, W. Epicuro e I' epicureismo cristiano (Brescia 1984)
Sedley, D. 'Epicurus and his professional rivals' Etudes sur l'epicurisme antique: Cahiers de Philologie I (1976) 121-59

On the History of the Genre of Didactic Epic, See:

*Cox, A. 'Didactic Poetry' in (ed.) J. Higginbotham Greek and Latin Literatue, a Comparative Study (London 1969) 124-61
Pohlmann, E. 'Charakteristika des romischen Lehrgedicts' in Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt (ed. Temporini) vol. I.3, 814-901

On Hellenistic Literature, See:

Fraser, P. M. Ptolemaic Alexandria (Oxford 1972)
*Hutchinson, G. O. Hellenistic Poetry (Oxford 1988)
Clausen, W. 'Callimachus and Roman Poetry' Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies 5 (1964) 181-96

For Roman Literature and Its Social Setting, See:

Griffin, J. Latin Poets and Roman Life (London 1985)
*Ogilvie, R. M. Roman Literature and Society (Harmondsworth 1980)
Rawson, E. Intellectual Life in the Late Roman Republic (London 1985)

On the New Poets, See:

Granarolo, J. 'L'epoque neoterique ou la poesie romaine d'avant-garde au dernier siecle de la Republique (Catulle excepte)' in Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt I.3 278-360
*Quinn, K. The Catullan Revolution (London 1969)

General Accounts of the Work of Lucretius Include:

Bergson, H. The Philosophy of Poetry: the genius of Lucretius (New York 1959)
Bignone, E. Storia della letteratura latina vol. 2, chs. 6-8 (Florence 1945)
Bollack, M. La Raison de Lucrece (Paris 1978)
Boyance, P. Lucrece et I' Epicurisme (Paris 1963)
Clay, D. Lucretius and Epicurus (Ithaca 1983)
*Dalzell, A. 'Lucrecius' in: Kenney, E. J. (ed.) The Cambridge History of Classical Literature vol. 2, part 2, 33-55
Dudley, D. R. (ed.) Lucretius (London 1965)
*Kenney, E. J. Lucretius (Greece and Rome New Surveys in the Classics no. 11 (1977))
Masson, J. Lucretius, Epicurean and Poet (2 vols., London 1907-9)
*Minadeo, R. The Lyre of Science (Michigan 1969)
Nichols, J. H. Epicurean Political Philosophy: the De Rerum Natura of Lucretius (Ithaca and London 1976)
Perelli, L. Lucrezio Poeta dell'angosia (Florence 1969)
Regenbogen, O. Lukrez, seine Gestalt in seinem Gedicht (Leipzig 1932)
*Santayana, G. Three Philosophical Poets (Cambridge, Mass. 1910)
*Segal, C. Lucretius on Death and Anxiety: Poetry and Philosophy in
De Rerum Natura
(New Jersey 1990)
*Sikes, E. E. Lucretius: poet and philosopher (Cambridge 1936)
Traglia, A. Sulla formazione spirituale di Lucrezio (Rome 1948)

More Specific Items on Lucretius Include:

Ackermann, E. Lukrez und der Mythos (Wiesbaden 1979), reviewed by E. J. Kenney in ClassicalReview31 (1981) 19-21
Amory, A. 'Obscura de re lucida carmina: Science and Poetry in De Rerum Natura
', Yale Classical Studies 21 (1969) 143-68
Arragon, R. F. 'Poetic Art as a Philosophic Medium for Lucrecius' Essays in Criticism II (1961) 371-89
Brown, R. D. 'Lucretius and Callimachus' Illinois Classical Studies 7 (1982) 77-97
Classen, C. J. 'Poetry and Rhetoric in Lucretius' Transactions of the American Philological Association 99 (1968) 77-118 - Probleme der Lukrezforschung (Hildesheim 1986)
Clay, D. 'The Sources of Lucrecius' Inspiration' Etudes sur I'epicurisme antique (Cahiers de Philologie) 1 (1976) 205-27
Deutsch, R. E. The Pattern of Sound in Lucretius ( Diss. Bryn Mawr 1939)
Ferrero, L. Poetica Nuova in Lucrezio (Florence 1949)
Friedlander, P. 'The pattern of sound and atomistic theory in Lucretius' American Journal of Philology 62 (1941) 16-33
Gale, M. R. Myth and Poetry in Lucretius (Cambridge 1994)
Gillis, D. J. 'Pastoral Poetry in Lucretius' Latomus 26 (1967) 339-62
Kenney, E. J. 'Doctus Lucretius' Mnemosyne 23 (1970) 366-92
Mayer, R. 'The Epic of Lucretius' Papers of the Leeds International Latin Seminar 6 (1990) 35-43
Minadeo, R. 'The Formal Design of the de rerum natura' Arion 4 (1965) 444-61
Minyard, J. D. Lucretius and the Late Republic (Leiden 1985)
Muller, G. 'Die Finalia der sechs Bucher des Lukrez' in Lucrece (Fondations Hardt Entretiens) 24 (1977) 197-231
Sallmann, K. G. Die Natur bei Lukrez (Bonn, 1962)
Schiesaro, A. Simulacrum et imago: gli argomenti analogici nel De Rerum Natura (Pisa 1990)
Schrijvers, P. H. Horror ac Divina Voluptas, Etudes sur la poetique et la poisie de Lucrece (Amsterdam 1970), reviewed by E. J . Kenney in Classical Review 22 (1972) 348-51 - 'Le Regard sur l'invisible. Etude sur l'emploi de I'analogie dans l'oeuvre de Lucrece' in Lucrece (Fondations Hardt Entretiens) 24 (1978)
Snyder, J. M. Puns and poetry in Lucretius' de rerum natura (Amsterdam, 1980), reviewed by D. A. West in Classical Review 31 (1981)
Sykes Davies, H. 'Notes on Lucretius' Criterion 11 (1931-2) 25-42
Townend, G. B. 'The Original Plan of Lucretius' de rerum natura' Classical Quarterly 29 ( 1979) 101-11
West, D. The Imagery and Poetry of Lucretius (Edinburgh 1969) -'Lucretius' Methods of Argument' Classical Quarterly 25 (1975) 94-116

On the Particular Topic of The "Anti-Lucrece Chez Lucrece', See:

Kinsey, T. E. 'The Melancholy of Lucretius' Arion 3 (1964) 115-30
Patin, H. J. G. Etudes sur la poisie latine (Paris 1883) vol. i, 117-37

On the Details of the Topics Contained in Books One and Two, the following Are of Importance:

Avotins, I. 'The question of mens in Lucretius 2.289' Classical Quarterly 29 (1979) 95-100 - 'On some Epicurean and Lucretian arguments for the infinity of the universe' Classical Quarterly 33 (1983) 421-7
Brown, R. D. 'Lucretian ridicule of Anaxagoras' Classical Quarterly 33 (1983) 146-60
Capelle, W. 'Das Problem der Urzeugung bei Aristoteles und Theophrast und in der Folgezeit', Rheinisches Museum 98 (1955) 150-80
Englert, W. G. Epicurus on the swerve and voluntary action (Atlanta, Georgia 1987)
Fowler, D. P. 'Lucretius on the clinamen and "free will" (2.251- 93)' in: (__):. Studi sull'epicureismo greco e latino offerti a Marcello Gigante (2 vols. Naples 1983) 329-52
Furley, D. J. 'Lucretius and the Stoics' Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 13 (1966) 13-33 - Two Studies in the Greek Atomists (Princeton 1967) - 'The Greek Theory of the Infinite Universe' Journal of the History of Ideas 42 (1981) 571-85
Gottschalk, H. B. 'Lucretius 1.983' Classical Philology 70 ( 1975 ) 42-4
Kleve, K. 'Philosophical Polemics in Lucretius' in Lucrece (Fondations Hardt Entretiens) 24 ( 1978) 39-75 - 'id facit exiguum clinamen' Symbolae Osloenses 15 (1980) 27-30
Muller, G. Die Darstellung der Kinetik bei Lukrez (Berlin, 1959)
Saunders, T. J. 'Free will and the atomic swerve in Lucretius' Symbolae Osloenses 49 (1984) 37-59
Schmidt, J. Lukrez und die Stoiker. Quellen und Untersuchungen zu De Rerum Natura (Marburg 1975)
Vlastos, G. 'Minimal Parts in Epicurean Atomism' Isis 56 (1965) 121-47

On the Prologues of the Different Books, and Lucretius' Attitude to Poetry, See:

Canfora, L. 'I proemi del de rerum natura' Rivista dl Filologia e di Istruzione Classica 110 (1982) 63-77
Cox, A. S. 'Lucretius and his message: a study in the prologues of the de rerum natura' Greece and Rome 18 (1971) 1-16
Elder, J. P. 'Lucretius 1.1-49' Transactions of the American PhilologicalAssociation 85 (1954) 88-120
Giancotti, F. Il Preludio di Lucrezio (Messina 1959)
Segal, C. 'Poetic Immortality and the Fear of Death: the second proem of the De Rerum Natura' Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 92 (1989) 193-212
Waszink, J. H. 'Lucretius and Poetry' Mededelingen der konin-klijke Nederlandle Akademie van Wetenschafpen (Afd. Letterkunde) N.S. 17 (1954) 243-57

On Memmius, See Especially:

Boyance, P. 'Lucrece et son disciple' Revue des Etudes anciennes 52 (1950) 212-33
Gruen, E. S. 'The consular elections for 53 BC' in: J. Bibauw Hommages a Marcel Rennard (Brussels 1969)
Holland, L. A. Lucretius and the Transpadanes (Princeton 1979)101-15
Roller, D. W. 'Gaius Memmius: Patron of Lucretius' Classical Philology 65 (1970) 246-8
Townend, G. 'The Fading of Memmius' Classical Quarterly 28 (1978) 267-83
Wiseman, T. P. 'The Two Worlds of Titus Lucretius' in Cinna the Poet and other Roman Essays (Leicester, 1974) 11-43

On the Epicurean View of the Soul, See:

Kerferd, G. B. 'Epicurus' doctrine of the soul' Phronesis 16 (1971) 80-96

On the Diatribe Against the fear of Death, See:

Furley, D. J. 'Nothing to us?' in M. Schofield and G. Striker, (eds.) The Norms of Nature: studies in Hellenistic ethics (Cambridge/Paris 1986) 75-91
Stork, T. Nil igitur mors est ad nos: Der Schlussteil des dritten Lukrezbuches und sein Verhaltnis zur Konsolationsliteratur (Bonn 1970)
Wallach, B. P. Lucretius and the Diatribe against the Fear of Death: DRN 3.830-1094 (Leiden 1976)

On the Theory of Perception and the Refutation of Scepticism, See:

Annas J. and J. Barnes The Modes of Scepticism (Cambridge 1985)
Asmis, E. 'Lucretius' explanation of moving dream figures at 4.768-76' American Journal of Philology 102 (1981) 138-45 - Epicurus' Scientific Method (Ithaca/London 1984)
Barigazzi, A. 'Epicure et le Scepticisme' Association Guillaume Bude: Actes de congres (1969) 286-93
Burnyeat, M. 'The upside-down back-to-front sceptic of Lucretius 4.472' Philologus 122 (1978) 197-206
Gigante, M. Scetticismo e Epicureismo (Naples 1981), reviewed by D. P. Fowler in Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 2 (1984) 237-67
Glidden, D. K. 'Sensus and sense-perception in the de rerum natura' California Studies in Classical Antiquity 12 (1981) 155-81
Schoenheim, U. 'The place of tactus in Lucretius' Philologus 110 (1966) 71-87
Schrijvers, P. H. 'La Pensee d'Epicure et de Lucrece sur le sommeil' Etudes sur l'epicurisme antique (Cahiers de Philologie) I (1976) 231-59 -'Die Traumtheorie des Lukrez' Mnemosyne 33 (1980) 128-51
Sedley, D. 'On Signs' in Science and Speculation  ed. Barnes, Burnyeat, Brunschwig and Schofield (Cambridge 1982) 239-72
Striker, G. 'Epicurus on the truth of sense impressions' Archiv fur Geschichte der Philosophie  59 (1977) 125-42
Taylor, C. C. W. 'All perceptions are true' in (ed.) Schofield, Burnyeat and Barnes Doubt and Dogmatism (Oxford 1980) 105-24

On Lucretius' Treatment of Sex and Love, See:

Barone, C. 'Le spese e le illusioni degli amanti (L. 4. 1123-30)' Studi Urbinati di Storia, Filosofia e Letterature 52 (1978) 75-90
Betensky, A. 'Lucretius and Love' Classical World 73 (1980) 291-9
*Brown, R. D. Lucretius on Love and Sex (Leiden 1987)
Fitzgerald, W. 'Lucretius' cure for love in the de rerum natura' Classical World 78 (1984) 73-86
Goar, R. J. 'On the end of Lucretius' fourth book' Classical Bulletin 47 (1971) 75-7
Rosivach, V. J. 'Lucretius 4.1123-40' American Journal of Philology 101 (1980) 401-3
Taladoire, B. A. 'Lucrece devant l'amour' Annales de la Faculte' des Lettres et Sciences Humaines de Nice 21 (1974) 231-5
Traina, A. ' Dira Libido (sul linguaggio lucreziano dell'Eros)' Studi di Poesia Latina in onore di A. Traglia ( ed. Di Storia) (Rome 1979) vol. 2, 259-76

On the Epicurean View of Pleasure, See:

Gosling, J. C. B. and C. C. W. Taylor The Greeks on Pleasure (Oxford 1982) 345-413
Rist, J. M. 'Pleasure: 360-300 BC' Phoenix 28 (1974) 167-79

On the Gods in Epicureanism and the Anti-Teleological Argument of the Poem, See:

Farrington, B. The Faith of Epicurus (London 1967)
Festugiere, A. J. (transl. C. W. Chilton) Epicurus and his Gods (Oxford 1955)
Lemke, D. Die Theologie Epikurs (Munich 1973)
Solmsen, F. 'Epicurus and cosmological heresies' American Journal of Philology 72 (1951) 1-23

On the History and Nature of Language, Society and Politics and Lucretius' Views on Progress, See:

Blickman, D. R. 'Lucretius, Epicurus and Prehistory' Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 92 (1989) 157-91
Edelstein, L. The Idea of Progress in Classical Antiquity (Baltimore 1967)
Fowler, D. P. 'Lucretius and Politics' in M. Griffin and J. Barnes (eds.) Philosophia Togata -Essays on Roman Philosophy and Society (Oxford 1989) 120-50
Furley, D. J. 'Lucretius the Epicurean. On the History of Man' in Lucrece (Fondacions Hardt Entretiens) 24 (1977) 1-27
*Kenney, E. J. 'The Historical Imagination of Lucretius' Greece and Rome 19 (1972) 12-24
*Long, A. A. 'Pleasure and Social Utility - the virtues of being Epicurean' in H. Flashar and O. Gigon (eds.) Aspects de la Philosophie Hellenistique (Fondations Hardt Entretiens) 32 (1986) 283-324
Merlan, P. 'Lucretius -Primitivist or Progressivist?' Journal of the History of Ideas 11 (1950) 364-8
Monci, R. C. 'Lucretius on Greed, Political Ambition and Society: DRN 3.59-86' Latomus 40 (1981) 48-66
Phillipson, R. 'Die Rechtsphilosophie der Epikureer' in: Studien zu Epikur und den Epikureern (Hildesheim 1983) 27-89
Robin, L., 'Sur la conception epicurienne du progres' Revue de Metaphysique et de Morale 23 (1916) 697-719
Schmid, W., 'Lucretius Ethicus' in Lucrece (Fondations Hardt Entretiens) 24 (1978) 123-65
Schrijvers, P. H. 'La pensee du Lucrece sur I'origine de la vie' Mnemosyne 27 (1974) 245-61 - 'La pensee de Lucrece sur I'origine du langage' Mnemosyne 27 (1974) 337-64

On the Plague at the End of Book Six, See:

Bright, D. F. 'The Plague and the Structure of the De Rerum Natura' Latomus 30 (1971) 607-32
Commager, H. S. Jr, 'Lucretius' Interpretation of the Plague' Harvard Studies in Classical Philology vol. LXII (1957), 105-18
Penwill, J. L. 'The Ending of Sense: Death as Closure in Lucretius Book 6' Ramus 25 (1996) 146-69

On the History of the Text of Lucretius, See Especially:

Cini, G. F. 'La posizione degli "Italici" nello stemma lucreziano' Atti e Memorie dell'Accademia Toscana La Colombaria 41 (1976) 115-69
Reeve, M. D. 'The Italian Tradition of Lucretius' ltalia Medioevale e Umanistica 23 (1980) 27-48
Reynolds, L. D. Texts and Transmission: a Survey of the Latin Classics (Oxford 1983)
Richter, W. Textstudien zu Lukrez (Munich 1974)

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