How Long to Read Of the Nature of Things

By Titus Lucretius Carus

How Long Does it Take to Read Of the Nature of Things?

It takes the average reader 3 hours and 50 minutes to read Of the Nature of Things by Titus Lucretius Carus

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

A first-century BC didactic poem by the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius. Of the Nature of Things - De Rerum Natura - Titus Lucretius Carus A metrical translation by William Ellery Leonard De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) is a first-century BC didactic poem by the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius (c. 99 BC – c. 55 BC) with the goal of explaining Epicurean philosophy to a Roman audience. The poem, written in some 7,400 dactylic hexameters, is divided into six untitled books, and explores Epicurean physics through richly poetic language and metaphors. Lucretius presents the principles of atomism; the nature of the mind and soul; explanations of sensation and thought; the development of the world and its phenomena; and explains a variety of celestial and terrestrial phenomena. The universe described in the poem operates according to these physical principles, guided by fortuna, "chance," and not the divine intervention of the traditional Roman deities.Epicurus maintained that the unhappiness and degradation of humans arose largely from the dread which they entertained of the power of the deities, from terror of their wrath, which was supposed to be displayed by the misfortunes inflicted in this life, by the everlasting tortures that were the lot of the guilty in a future state, or where these feelings were not strongly developed, from a vague dread of gloom and misery after death. To remove these fears, and thus to establish tranquillity in the heart, was the purpose of his teaching. Thus the deities, whose existence he did not deny, lived forevermore in the enjoyment of absolute peace, strangers to all the passions, desires, and fears, which agitate the human heart, totally indifferent to the world and its inhabitants, unmoved alike by their virtues and their crimes. To prove this position he called upon the atomism of Democritus, by which he sought to demonstrate that the material universe was formed not by a Supreme Being, but by the mixing of elemental particles that had existed from all eternity governed by certain simple laws. The task undertaken by Lucretius was to clearly state and fully develop these views in an attractive form; his work being an attempt to show that everything in nature can be explained by natural laws without the need for the intervention of divine beings.

How long is Of the Nature of Things?

Of the Nature of Things by Titus Lucretius Carus is 230 pages long, and a total of 57,500 words.

This makes it 78% the length of the average book. It also has 70% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Of the Nature of Things Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 5 hours and 14 minutes to read Of the Nature of Things aloud.

What Reading Level is Of the Nature of Things?

Of the Nature of Things is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Of the Nature of Things?

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