De Rerum Natura Flashcards
1
Q
De Rerum Natura was written by…
A
Lucretius
2
Q
Background of Lucretius
A
- Circa 99 BCE - 55 BCE
- Roman
- Committed suicide at age 44
3
Q
De Rerum Natura is a tribute to…
A
Epicurus (ethics based on science, freedom from worries and anxiety)
4
Q
De Rerum Natura is structured as…
A
- Poem (powerful narrative and lyric effects)
- Philosophical Treatise
- Compendium of Scientific Ideas (universal enlightenment)
5
Q
De Rerum Natura’s effects as a scientific treatise…
A
- develops atomic theory
- demonstrates laws of conservation of matter and energy
- states theory of mutation and “survival of the fittest”
6
Q
De Rerum Natura’s theory of disease…
A
Miasma
7
Q
De Rerum Natura’s disease narrative
A
- Plague of Athens (430 BCE) [Possibly Bubonic Plague]
- Follows Thucydides’ plague narrative
8
Q
Poetic Devices in De Rerum Natura (5)
A
- Simile
- Personification
- Hyperbole
- Pathos
- Imagined Details
