Publisher's Synopsis
The De Rerum Natura of Lucretius (99BC-55BC) is one of the great books of the world, a lucid explanation of physical phenomena that develops into a majestic vision of the ultimate nature of the universe.
Lucretius' observations of the particularities of the world remain vividly alive across the centuries. Through his eyes we see the growth of crops and the changing seasons, the behaviour of animals and the symptoms of disease. We follow his enquiring, scientific mind as he investigates the workings of mirror images, thunderstorms and magnetism, how we walk and what sleep is. The poem's power lies in the tension between this brief, sensuous, richness of life, and Lucretius' overarching belief in an empty universe of eternally recurring elements.
Cover illustration: Image of the sun from the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope on the SOHO satellite. Courtesy of the SOHO-EIT Consortium. SOHO is a joint mission of international cooperation between ESA and NASA
