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Lucretius on Love and Sex: A Commentary on De Rerum Natura IV, 1030-1287 with Prolegomena, Text and Translation PDF

401 Pages·1987·17.128 MB·English
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Preview Lucretius on Love and Sex: A Commentary on De Rerum Natura IV, 1030-1287 with Prolegomena, Text and Translation

COLUMBIA STUDIES IN THE CLASSICAL TRADITION under the direction of WILLIAM V. HARRIS (Editor) · PAUL OSKAR KRISTELLER EUGENE F. RICE, JR. · ALAN CAMERON JAMES A. COULTER · RICHARD BRILLIANT VOLUME XV LUCRETIUS ON LOVE AND SEX A Commentary on De Rerum Natura IV, 1030-1287 with Prolegomena, Text, and Translation BY ROBERT D. BROWN E.J. BRILL NEW YORK · K0BENHAVN · KÖLN 1987 Columbia Studies in the Classical Tradition publishes monographs by members of the Columbia University faculty and by former Columbia students. Its subjects are the following: Greek and Latin literature, ancient philosophy. Greek and Roman history, classical archaeology, and the classical tradition in its mediaeval, Renaissance and modem manifestations. The following books haoe been published in the series: I. Monfasani, John: George of Trebizond: a Biography and a Study of his Rhetoric and Logic (1976) II. Coulter, James A.: The Literasy Microcosm: Theories of Interpretation of the Later Neoplatonisls (1976) III. Riginos, Alice Swift: Platonica. The Anecdotes concerning the Life and Writings of Plato (1976) IV. Bagnall, RogerS.: The Administration of the Ptolemaic Possessions outside Egypt (1976) V. Keuls, Eva C.: Plato and Greek Painting (1978) VI. Schein, Seth L.: The Iambic Trimeter in Aeschylus and Sophocles: A Study in Metrical Form (1980) VII. O’Sullivan, Thomas D.: The De Excidio of Gildas: Its Authenticity and Date (1978) VIII. Cohen, Shaye J. D .-.Josephus in Galilee and Rome: His Vita and Development as a Historian (1979) IX. Tarân, Sonya Lida: The Art of Variation in the Hellenistic Epigram (1979) X. Cameron, Averil & Herrin, Judith (Eds.): Constantinople in the Early Eighth Century: the Parastaseis Syntomoi Chronikai. Introduction, Translation and Commentary (1984·) XI. Bruno, Vincent J. : Hellenistic Painting Techniques: the Evidence of the Delos Fragments (1985) XII. Wood, Susan: Roman Portrait Sculpture, 217-260 A.D. The Transformation of an Artistic Tradition (1986) XIII. Bagnall, Roger S. a Harris, William V. (Eds.): Studies in Roman Law in Memory of A. Arthur Schüler (1986) XIV. Sacks, Richard: The Traditional Phrase in Homer. Two Studies in Form, Meaning and Interpretation (1987) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Brown, Robert D. (Robert Duncan), 1950- Lucretius on love and sex. (Columbia studies in the classical tradition, ISSN 0166-1302; v. 15) Includes index. 1. Lucretius Carus, Titus. De rerum natura. Liber 4. 2. Love in literature. 3. Sex in literature. I. Lucretius Carus, Titus. De rerum natura. Liber 4. II. Title. III. Series. PA6485.B76 1987 87Γ.01 87-23885 ISBN 90-04-08512-2 The publication of this work was aided by the Stanwood Cockey Lodge Foundation ISSN 0166-1302 ISBN 90 04 08512 2 © Copyright 1987 by The Trustees of Columbia University in The City of New York All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche or any other means without written permission from the publisher PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS BY E.J. BRILL To Diana CONTENTS Preface ............................................................................................... ix A. Prolegomena I. Book Four of the De Rerum Natura............................................ 3 1. Preliminary remarks............................................................ 3 2. Problems of composition and completeness....................... 5 3. Book Four and the structure of the De Rerum Natura........ 9 4. The relationship between Books Three and Four............ 13 5. The themes of Book Four (1-822)...................................... 19 i. Effluences.......................................................................... 21 ii. Illusion.............................................................................. 22 6. The concluding topics of Book Four (823-1287)............... 28 i. The continuing themes of effluences and illusion|..... 29 ii. Inner coherence............................................................... 39 7. Summaries............................................................................. 44 II. The Finale of Book Four ......................................................... 47 1. The book finales of the De Rerum Natura........................... 47 2. The finale of Book Four: sex and the passion of love....... 60 i. Sex.................................................................................... 62 ii. Love................................................................................. 69 iii. Marriage.......................................................................... 87 3. The hymn to Venus and Book Four................................ 91 4. Summaries .......................................................................... 99 III. The Philosophical, Cultural, and Literary Background ....... 101 1. Epicurus................................................................................. 101 i. Sex.................................................................................... 108 ii. Love................................................................................. Ill iii. Marriage and children.................................................... 118 2. Roman society....................................................................... 122 3. Literature............................................................................... 127 i. Plato and Theocritus....................................................... 128 ii. Greek epigram.................................................................. 132 iii. Drama............................................................................... 135 CONTENTS VIII iv. Satire and diatribe................................................................ 137 V. Catullus and Latin love poetry........................................... l39 B. T ext and T ranslation Sigla................................................................................................................. 146 Lucreti De Rerum Natura Liber IV, 1030-1287 ...................................... 14g C. Commentary Abbreviations used in Commentary..................................................... 107 Commentary................................................................................................ 171 Indexes ......................................................................................................... 381 PREFACE This Commentary is a revised and expanded version of part of my doc­ toral thesis, completed at Oxford University in 1977 and entitled A Com- mentary on Selected Passages of Lucretius IV. An introduction precedes each of the main sections (1030-36, 1037-57, 1058-72, 1073-1120, 1121-40, 1141-91, 1192-1208, 1209-32, 1233-77, 1278-87), and I have tried in the notes to comment on all matters which affect the interpretation of the passage or illuminate the poetic technique of Lucretius. In the Pro­ legomena, added subsequently, my foremost aim has been to interpret the finale of Book Four as an organic element of the De Rerum Natura by examining its relationship to the subject matter of Book Four, the other finales, and the hymn to Venus (Chapter II); the necessary preliminary to this is an analysis of Book Four itself—its place within the poem, themes, and unity (Chapter I). On this basis, I turn finally to the Epicurean, Roman, and literary context of the passage (Chapter III). I am very grateful to the following individuals and institutions: the Editorial Board of Columbia Studies in the Classical Tradition, especially the editor, William Harris, whose early and active encourage­ ment of this project played a vital role in its completion; the Stanwood Cockey Lodge Foundation for subsidizing the cost of publication; the staff of E. J. Brill, especially the editor of this volume, Julian Deahl; Col­ umbia University’s Council for Research in the Humanities for two sum­ mer grants; the Interlibrary Loan Office and Academic Computer ^Center of Vassar College for expert assistance; José Parra and Alex Jones for help with typing and word-processing. Among scholars, my greatest debt is to Professor R. G. M. Nisbet, who as the supervisor of my doc­ toral thesis and through his comments upon later additions and revisions, including a penultimate version of the whole work, has helped me in innumerable ways. I feel fortunate to have studied with a scholar of such extraordinary erudition, insight, and generosity. Diskin Clay read the completed manuscript for this series and made some very useful sugges­ tions for improvement, particularly on Epicurean aspects. I have also benefited in various ways, and at various times, from the assistance, ideas, and encouragement of Helen Bacon, John Bramble, Alan Cameron, the late Steele Commager, James Coulter, Adrian Hollis, Peter Parsons, Leonardo Tarân, and my colleagues in the Classics Department at Vassar College, especially Robert Pounder. To my wife, for her constant help and advice, and for giving me the strength to see this through, I express my everlasting gratitude. Poughkeepsie, New York R.D.B. PROLEGOMENA

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