The Nature of Things (Penguin Classics)

The acclaimed new translation of the classic poem at the heart of Stephen Greenblatt’s The Swerve

Lucretius' poem On the Nature of Things combines a scientific and philosophical treatise with some of the greatest poetry ever written. With intense moral fervour he 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 by the mechanical laws of nature and not by gods; and that by believing this men can live in peace of mind and happiness. He bases this on the atomic theory expounded by the Greek philosopher Epicurus, and continues with an examination of sensation, sex, cosmology, meteorology, and geology, all of these subjects made more attractive by the poetry with which he illustrates them.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

• The Art of Happiness (Penguin Classics)
• The Swerve: How the World Became Modern
• The Bacchae and Other Plays (Penguin Classics)
• Vampyroteuthis Infernalis: A Treatise, with a Report by the Institut Scientifique de Recherche Paranaturaliste (Posthumanities)
• A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Dover Thrift Editions)
• Bacchae (Focus Classical Library)
• Sidereus Nuncius, or The Sidereal Messenger
• Machiavelli: Selected Political Writings (Hackett Classics)
• On the Origin of Species (Penguin Classics)
• The Periodic Table (Everyman's Library Contemporary Classics Series)