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

401 Pages·1987·17.128 MB·English

by  Robert Duncan Brown, Titus Lucretius Carus

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