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The Nature Of Things

What is the nature of things?

· James MacDonald

Key facts

Title De rerum natura / On the Nature of Things[1]
Author Lucretius[1]
Date First-century BCE[1]
Form Didactic poem[1]
Books Six untitled books[1]
Length Some 7,400 dactylic hexameters[1]

The Nature of Things usually refers to *De rerum natura*, a first-century BCE Latin didactic poem by Lucretius that explains Epicurean philosophy for a Roman audience. It presents a naturalistic account of the universe, including atomism, the mind and soul, sensation, and cosmic and earthly phenomena.

Context

The poem’s goal is to explain Epicurean philosophy to a Roman audience [1]. It argues that natural events can be explained by natural laws without divine intervention [1]. It explores atomism, the mind and soul, sensation and thought, and celestial and terrestrial phenomena [1]. Britannica says the title translates the name of Epicurus’s work *Peri physeōs* (*On Nature*) [1]. This work is distinct from the general philosophical topic of Human Nature and from the musical piece On The Nature Of Daylight.

Documented claims

  • The poem explains Epicurean philosophy to a Roman audience. [1]
  • It argues that natural events can be explained by natural laws without divine intervention. [1]
  • The title translates Epicurus’s work *Peri physeōs* (*On Nature*). [1]

Related

The Human ConditionThe Human Condition behandlar existentiella fragor om manniskans tillstand, nara beslektat med sidans overgripande fragestallning.

Questions and answers

Is The Nature of Things still going?

The poem *De rerum natura* has survived from antiquity and remains a key text in Epicurean philosophy [1].

Is The Nature of Things Canadian?

The poem is Latin, not Canadian; it was written for a Roman audience in the first-century BCE [1].

Who are the new hosts of The Nature of Things?

The poem has no hosts; it is a didactic poem by Lucretius [1].

Sources

  1. On the Nature of Things | Epicurean philosophy, atomic ... — britannica.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Entertainment