The sheer ambition and scale of Roman philosopher Lucretius' epic poem On the Nature of Things distinguishes it as belonging in a class of its own. It is on the one hand a sublime and powerful poem, and on the other an encyclopaedia of the world from an Ancient Roman perspective. Lucretius has a theory about everything from the origins of the universe to the occurrence of natural phenomena such as thunder...
and lightning. Lucretius was a bold and radical and freethinker within his own time, who questioned the sense and rationale of living life in fear of death and of upsetting the gods.
His theories make captivating listening.
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