Titi Lucretii Cari. De rerum Natura - Paris, Joseph Barbou, 1754 - (XXXVI) 288 pp. - Full leather binding with golden edges - 16 x 9 cm. In good condition. Minor scrapes and dented spots. Some loss of leather on the top of the spine of which the leather has become somewhat dried-out. The text block has minor discolouration. Contains a frontispiece and six engravings after Frans van Mieris. Titus Lucretius Caro wrote the educational poem ‘De Rerum Natura’, ‘Over de Natuur van de Dingen’ more than 2,000 years ago, with which he intended to bring the philosophy of the Greek philosopher Epicurus under the attention of the Roman public. Rome in those days was torn apart by civil wars, corruption and scandals and the population hungered for peace and friendship. That was exactly what the philosophy of Epicurus was offering; free of the fear for the gods, free of the fear for death, discussions among friends in peace and the secrets of nature undone. By knowing everything, the fear of the unknown can be overcome and the gods that enable violence, war and superstition can be taken out of play. In approx. 7,500 lines of poetry, divided over six chapters, Lucretius unfolds the fascinating world of the atoms and limitless emptiness, he tells about ourselves, our mind, our soul and senses, gives sex education and ends with the goings-on of the world in which we live. He explains in rational terms what the phenomena are in the heavens and on earth. The reader will be moved, fascinated, entertained and is amazed. It is striking how the actual the problems still are that Lucretius discusses. Will be sent with registration.