Lucretius · Complete work
Atoms and Void
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Huc accedit uti quicque in sua corpora rursumdissoluat natura neque ad nihilum interemat res.nam siquid mortale e cunctis partibus esset,ex oculis res quaeque repente erepta periret;nulla vi foret usus enim, quae partibus eiusdiscidium parere et nexus exsolvere posset.quod nunc, aeterno quia constant semine quaeque,donec vis obiit, quae res diverberet ictuaut intus penetret per inania dissoluatque,nullius exitium patitur natura videri.Praeterea quae cumque vetustate amovet aetas,si penitus peremit consumens materiem omnem,unde animale genus generatim in lumina vitaeredducit Venus, aut redductum daedala tellusunde alit atque auget generatim pabula praebens?unde mare ingenuei fontes externaque longeflumina suppeditant? unde aether sidera pascit?omnia enim debet, mortali corpore quae sunt,infinita aetas consumpse ante acta diesque.quod si in eo spatio atque ante acta aetate fueree quibus haec rerum consistit summa refecta,inmortali sunt natura praedita certe.haud igitur possunt ad nilum quaeque reverti.Denique res omnis eadem vis causaque volgoconficeret, nisi materies aeterna teneret,inter se nexus minus aut magis indupedita;tactus enim leti satis esset causa profecto,quippe ubi nulla forent aeterno corpore, quorumcontextum vis deberet dissolvere quaeque.at nunc, inter se quia nexus principiorumdissimiles constant aeternaque materies est,incolumi remanent res corpore, dum satis acrisvis obeat pro textura cuiusque reperta.haud igitur redit ad nihilum res ulla, sed omnesdiscidio redeunt in corpora materiai.postremo pereunt imbres, ubi eos pater aetherin gremium matris terrai praecipitavit;at nitidae surgunt fruges ramique virescuntarboribus, crescunt ipsae fetuque gravantur.hinc alitur porro nostrum genus atque ferarum,hinc laetas urbes pueris florere videmusfrondiferasque novis avibus canere undique silvas,hinc fessae pecudes pinguis per pabula laetacorpora deponunt et candens lacteus umoruberibus manat distentis, hinc nova prolesartubus infirmis teneras lasciva per herbasludit lacte mero mentes perculsa novellas.haud igitur penitus pereunt quaecumque videntur,quando alit ex alio reficit natura nec ullamrem gigni patitur nisi morte adiuta aliena.Nunc age, res quoniam docui non posse crearide nihilo neque item genitas ad nil revocari,ne qua forte tamen coeptes diffidere dictis,quod nequeunt oculis rerum primordia cerni,accipe praeterea quae corpora tute necessestconfiteare esse in rebus nec posse videri.Principio venti vis verberat incita corpusingentisque ruit navis et nubila differt,inter dum rapido percurrens turbine camposarboribus magnis sternit montisque supremossilvifragis vexat flabris: ita perfurit acricum fremitu saevitque minaci murmure pontus.sunt igitur venti ni mirum corpora caeca,quae mare, quae terras, quae denique nubila caeliverrunt ac subito vexantia turbine raptant,nec ratione fluunt alia stragemque propagantet cum mollis aquae fertur natura repenteflumine abundanti, quam largis imbribus augetmontibus ex altis magnus decursus aquaifragmina coniciens silvarum arbustaque tota,nec validi possunt pontes venientis aquaivim subitam tolerare: ita magno turbidus imbrimolibus incurrit validis cum viribus amnis,dat sonitu magno stragem volvitque sub undisgrandia saxa, ruit qua quidquid fluctibus obstat.sic igitur debent venti quoque flamina ferri,quae vel uti validum cum flumen procubuerequam libet in partem, trudunt res ante ruuntqueimpetibus crebris, inter dum vertice tortocorripiunt rapidique rotanti turbine portant.quare etiam atque etiam sunt venti corpora caeca,quandoquidem factis et moribus aemula magnisamnibus inveniuntur, aperto corpore qui sunt.Tum porro varios rerum sentimus odoresnec tamen ad naris venientis cernimus umquamnec calidos aestus tuimur nec frigora quimususurpare oculis nec voces cernere suemus;quae tamen omnia corporea constare necessestnatura, quoniam sensus inpellere possunt;tangere enim et tangi, nisi corpus, nulla potest res.Denique fluctifrago suspensae in litore vestisuvescunt, eaedem dispansae in sole serescunt.at neque quo pacto persederit umor aquaivisumst nec rursum quo pacto fugerit aestu.in parvas igitur partis dispergitur umor,quas oculi nulla possunt ratione videre.quin etiam multis solis redeuntibus annisanulus in digito subter tenuatur habendo,stilicidi casus lapidem cavat, uncus aratriferreus occulte decrescit vomer in arvis,strataque iam volgi pedibus detrita viarumsaxea conspicimus; tum portas propter aenasigna manus dextras ostendunt adtenuarisaepe salutantum tactu praeterque meantum.haec igitur minui, cum sint detrita, videmus.sed quae corpora decedant in tempore quoque,invida praeclusit speciem natura videndi.Postremo quae cumque dies naturaque rebuspaulatim tribuit moderatim crescere cogens,nulla potest oculorum acies contenta tueri,nec porro quae cumque aevo macieque senescunt,nec, mare quae impendent, vesco sale saxa peresaquid quoque amittant in tempore cernere possis.corporibus caecis igitur natura gerit res.Nec tamen undique corporea stipata tenenturomnia natura; namque est in rebus inane.quod tibi cognosse in multis erit utile rebusnec sinet errantem dubitare et quaerere semperde summa rerum et nostris diffidere dictis.qua propter locus est intactus inane vacansque.quod si non esset, nulla ratione moverires possent; namque officium quod corporis exstat,officere atque obstare, id in omni tempore adessetomnibus; haud igitur quicquam procedere posset,principium quoniam cedendi nulla daret res.at nunc per maria ac terras sublimaque caelimulta modis multis varia ratione movericernimus ante oculos, quae, si non esset inane,non tam sollicito motu privata carerentquam genita omnino nulla ratione fuissent,undique materies quoniam stipata quiesset.Praeterea quamvis solidae res esse putentur,hinc tamen esse licet raro cum corpore cernas.in saxis ac speluncis permanat aquarumliquidus umor et uberibus flent omnia guttis.dissipat in corpus sese cibus omne animantum;crescunt arbusta et fetus in tempore fundunt,quod cibus in totas usque ab radicibus imisper truncos ac per ramos diffunditur omnis.inter saepta meant voces et clausa domorumtransvolitant, rigidum permanat frigus ad ossa.quod nisi inania sint, qua possent corpora quaequetransire, haud ulla fieri ratione videres.Denique cur alias aliis praestare videmuspondere res rebus nihilo maiore figura?nam si tantundemst in lanae glomere quantumcorporis in plumbo est, tantundem pendere par est,corporis officiumst quoniam premere omnia deorsum,contra autem natura manet sine pondere inanis.ergo quod magnumst aeque leviusque videtur,ni mirum plus esse sibi declarat inanis;at contra gravius plus in se corporis essededicat et multo vacui minus intus habere.est igitur ni mirum id quod ratione sagaciquaerimus, admixtum rebus, quod inane vocamus.Illud in his rebus ne te deducere veropossit, quod quidam fingunt, praecurrere cogor.cedere squamigeris latices nitentibus aiuntet liquidas aperire vias, quia post loca pisceslinquant, quo possint cedentes confluere undae;sic alias quoque res inter se posse moveriet mutare locum, quamvis sint omnia plena.scilicet id falsa totum ratione receptumst.nam quo squamigeri poterunt procedere tandem,ni spatium dederint latices? concedere porroquo poterunt undae, cum pisces ire nequibunt?aut igitur motu privandumst corpora quaequeaut esse admixtum dicundumst rebus inane,unde initum primum capiat res quaeque movendi.Postremo duo de concursu corpora latasi cita dissiliant, nempe aer omne necessest,inter corpora quod fiat, possidat inane.is porro quamvis circum celerantibus aurisconfluat, haud poterit tamen uno tempore totumcompleri spatium; nam primum quemque necessestoccupet ille locum, deinde omnia possideantur.quod si forte aliquis, cum corpora dissiluere,tum putat id fieri quia se condenseat aer,errat; nam vacuum tum fit quod non fuit anteet repletur item vacuum quod constitit ante,nec tali ratione potest denserier aer
Mouseia
Mouseia's complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the complete Latin text of Book 1 as printed by The Latin Library, in flowing prose that preserves the argument's order, images, and force.
Nature, then, works through body and through void: for there is void in things — this you must admit, both because otherwise nothing could move, and because the sea would be solid, and the earth would be solid, and nothing could grow, and nothing could be born. For matter is not solid: for there is room in it. The river runs, and the wind blows, and light passes through: so there is room in matter, and matter is not solid through and through.
And there are two kinds of things: body and void. Body is that which is, and void is that which is not — the empty room in which body is, and by which body moves. And body is not nothing; and void is not body. Body touches body; and void does not touch: for there is nothing in it to touch. But body can move in void: and body cannot move in body. So there is void, and there is body.
And body is made of matter; and matter is made of atoms: for matter can be broken, and the atoms cannot. The atom is the smallest thing: for if it could be broken, it would be made of parts; and if it were made of parts, it would not be the smallest thing. And if there were no smallest thing, everything would be made of nothing, and would fall into nothing: for everything would be divisible forever. So there are atoms, and they are the seeds of things.
And the atoms are solid, and eternal, and indivisible: and they move in the void, and meet, and cling, and make things. And things are made of atoms as words are made of letters: the letters are few, and the words are many; and the atoms are few, and the things are many. And as the same letters make different words, so the same atoms make different things: the same atoms make the sea, and the earth, and the sky, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the living things, and the trees, and men. And the atoms differ only in shape, and size, and weight: and by these differences all things are made.
And the atoms are not made, and do not perish: for they are the seeds. And if the atoms could be made or perish, everything could be made or perish at any time, in any way: but the facts are otherwise. The atoms are eternal, and matter is eternal.
Mouseia
Mouseia's complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Latin text of Book 1.
Nature works through body and through void. There is emptiness in things — admit it: otherwise nothing could move; the sea would be one solid block, the earth one solid block; nothing could grow, nothing could be born. Matter isn't solid all the way through: rivers run, wind blows, light passes — so there's room inside matter.
Two kinds of thing: body and void. Body is what exists; void is the empty space where body sits and moves. Body isn't nothing; void isn't body. Body touches body; void doesn't touch anything. Body can move in void, but can't move inside solid body. So: void exists, and body exists.
Body is made of matter, and matter is made of atoms. Matter can be broken; atoms can't. An atom is the smallest thing: if it could be split, it would have parts, and wouldn't be smallest. And if there were no smallest thing, everything would be built from nothing and would crumble into nothing forever. So atoms exist: they are the seeds of things.
Atoms are solid, eternal, indivisible. They move in the void; they meet, cling, and build things. Things are made of atoms the way words are made of letters: few letters, many words; few atoms, many things. The same letters make different words; the same atoms make the sea, the earth, the sky, the sun, the stars, animals, trees, people. Atoms differ only in shape, size, and weight — and by those differences, everything is made.
Atoms aren't created and don't die: they are the seeds. If they could be made or destroyed, everything could come and go any way, any time. But the facts say otherwise: atoms are eternal, and matter is eternal.