Lucretius · Complete work
The Boundless Universe
The Boundless Universe of 8. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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Quapropter qui materiem rerum esse putaruntignem atque ex igni summam consistere solo,magno opere a vera lapsi ratione videntur.Heraclitus init quorum dux proelia primus,clarus <ob> obscuram linguam magis inter inanisquamde gravis inter Graios, qui vera requirunt;omnia enim stolidi magis admirantur amantque,inversis quae sub verbis latitantia cernunt,veraque constituunt quae belle tangere possuntauris et lepido quae sunt fucata sonore.Nam cur tam variae res possent esse, requiro,ex uno si sunt igni puroque creatae?nil prodesset enim calidum denserier ignemnec rare fieri, si partes ignis eandemnaturam quam totus habet super ignis haberent.acrior ardor enim conductis partibus esset,languidior porro disiectis <dis>que supatis.amplius hoc fieri nihil est quod posse rearistalibus in causis, ne dum variantia rerumtanta queat densis rarisque ex ignibus esse.Id quoque: si faciant admixtum rebus inane,denseri poterunt ignes rarique relinqui;sed quia multa sibi cernunt contraria quae sintet fugitant in rebus inane relinquere purum,ardua dum metuunt, amittunt vera viainec rursum cernunt exempto rebus inaneomnia denseri fierique ex omnibus unumcorpus, nil ab se quod possit mittere raptim,aestifer ignis uti lumen iacit atque vaporem,ut videas non e stipatis partibus esse.Quod si forte alia credunt ratione potesseignis in coetu stingui mutareque corpus,scilicet ex nulla facere id si parte reparcent,occidet ad nihilum ni mirum funditus ardoromnis et <e> nihilo fient quae cumque creantur;nam quod cumque suis mutatum finibus exit,continuo hoc mors est illius quod fuit ante.proinde aliquid superare necesse est incolume ollis,ne tibi res redeant ad nilum funditus omnesde nihiloque renata vigescat copia rerum.Nunc igitur quoniam certissima corpora quaedamsunt, quae conservant naturam semper eandem,quorum abitu aut aditu mutatoque ordine mutantnaturam res et convertunt corpora sese,scire licet non esse haec ignea corpora rerum.nil referret enim quaedam decedere, abireatque alia adtribui mutarique ordine quaedam,si tamen ardoris naturam cuncta tenerent;ignis enim foret omnimodis quod cumque crearet.verum, ut opinor, itast: sunt quaedam corpora, quorumconcursus motus ordo positura figuraeefficiunt ignis mutatoque ordine mutantnaturam neque sunt igni simulata neque ullipraeterea rei quae corpora mittere possitsensibus et nostros adiectu tangere tactus.dicere porro ignem res omnis esse neque ullamrem veram in numero rerum constare nisi ignem,quod facit hic idem, perdelirum esse videtur.nam contra sensus ab sensibus ipse repugnatet labefactat eos, unde omnia credita pendent,unde hic cognitus est ipsi quem nominat ignem;credit enim sensus ignem cognoscere vere,cetera non credit, quae nilo clara minus sunt.quod mihi cum vanum tum delirum esse videtur;quo referemus enim? quid nobis certius ipsissensibus esse potest, qui vera ac falsa notemus?Praeterea quare quisquam magis omnia tollatet velit ardoris naturam linquere solam,quam neget esse ignis, <aliam> tamen esse relinquat?aequa videtur enim dementia dicere utrumque.Quapropter qui materiem rerum esse putaruntignem atque ex igni summam consistere posse,et qui principium gignundis aera rebusconstituere aut umorem qui cumque putaruntfingere res ipsum per se terramve creareomnia et in rerum naturas vertier omnis,magno opere a vero longe derrasse videntur.adde etiam qui conduplicant primordia rerumaera iungentes igni terramque liquori,et qui quattuor ex rebus posse omnia renturex igni terra atque anima procrescere et imbri.quorum Acragantinus cum primis Empedocles est,insula quem triquetris terrarum gessit in oris,quam fluitans circum magnis anfractibus aequorIonium glaucis aspargit virus ab undisangustoque fretu rapidum mare dividit undisAeoliae terrarum oras a finibus eius.hic est vasta Charybdis et hic Aetnaea minanturmurmura flammarum rursum se colligere iras,faucibus eruptos iterum vis ut vomat ignisad caelumque ferat flammai fulgura rursum.quae cum magna modis multis miranda videturgentibus humanis regio visendaque ferturrebus opima bonis, multa munita virum vi,nil tamen hoc habuisse viro praeclarius in senec sanctum magis et mirum carumque videtur.carmina quin etiam divini pectoris eiusvociferantur et exponunt praeclara reperta,ut vix humana videatur stirpe creatus.Hic tamen et supra quos diximus inferiorespartibus egregie multis multoque minores,quamquam multa bene ac divinitus invenientesex adyto tam quam cordis responsa dederesanctius et multo certa ratione magis quamPythia quae tripodi a Phoebi lauroque profatur,principiis tamen in rerum fecere ruinaset graviter magni magno cecidere ibi casu.Primum quod motus exempto rebus inaniconstituunt et res mollis rarasque relinquuntaera solem ignem terras animalia frugisnec tamen admiscent in eorum corpus inane;deinde quod omnino finem non esse secandiscorporibus facient neque pausam stare fragorinec prorsum in rebus minimum consistere qui<cquam>,cum videamus id extremum cuiusque cacumenesse quod ad sensus nostros minimum esse videtur,conicere ut possis ex hoc, quae cernere non quisextremum quod habent, minimum consistere <rerum>.Huc accedit item, quoniam primordia rerummollia constituunt, quae nos nativa videmusesse et mortali cum corpore, funditus ut quidebeat ad nihilum iam rerum summa revertide nihiloque renata vigescere copia rerum;quorum utrumque quid a vero iam distet habebis.Deinde inimica modis multis sunt atque venenoipsa sibi inter se; quare aut congressa peribuntaut ita diffugient, ut tempestate coactafulmina diffugere atque imbris ventosque videmus.Denique quattuor ex rebus si cuncta creanturatque in eas rursum res omnia dissoluuntur,qui magis illa queunt rerum primordia diciquam contra res illorum retroque putari?alternis gignuntur enim mutantque coloremet totam inter se naturam tempore ab omni.[fulmina diffugere atque imbris ventosque videmus.]sin ita forte putas ignis terraeque coirecorpus et aerias auras roremque liquoris,nil in concilio naturam ut mutet eorum,nulla tibi ex illis poterit res esse creata,non animans, non exanimo cum corpore, ut arbos;quippe suam quicque in coetu variantis acervinaturam ostendet mixtusque videbitur aercum terra simul et quodam cum rore manere.at primordia gignundis in rebus oportetnaturam clandestinam caecamque adhibere,emineat ne quid, quod contra pugnet et obstetquo minus esse queat proprie quodcumque creatur.Quin etiam repetunt a caelo atque ignibus eiuset primum faciunt ignem se vertere in aurasaeris, hinc imbrem gigni terramque creariex imbri retroque a terra cuncta reverti,umorem primum, post aera, deinde calorem,nec cessare haec inter se mutare, mearea caelo ad terram, de terra ad sidera mundi.quod facere haud ullo debent primordia pacto.immutabile enim quiddam superare necessest,ne res ad nihilum redigantur funditus omnes;nam quod cumque suis mutatum finibus exit,continuo hoc mors est illius quod fuit ante.quapropter quoniam quae paulo diximus antein commutatum veniunt, constare necessest
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.
But since I have taught that the most solid bodies of matter fly about forever unconquered through all time, come now: let us unfold whether there is any limit to their sum, or none. And likewise what has been found to be void — or place and space, in which all things are carried out — let us see whether it is altogether bounded, or stretches measureless and deep.
The whole of what is, then, is bounded in no direction of ways: for it must have an end. But nothing is seen to have an end, unless there be something beyond to bound it, so that the place may be seen where the force of sense ceases to follow. Now since we must confess that outside the sum there is nothing, it has no end: it is therefore without limit and without measure. Nor does it matter at what regions of it you stand: so much is it, that whatever place anyone has taken, he leaves the whole infinite alike in all directions.
Furthermore: if for the moment the whole of space were set as bounded, and if anyone ran forward to the last shores and hurled a flying spear, would you rather that the spear, hurled with mighty force, went where it was sent and flew far, or do you think something can hinder and stop it? One or the other you must confess and take. Either of which shuts out all flight for you, and forces you to grant that all things lie open, with no end taken away. For whether there is something to check and prevent the spear from going where it was sent and placing itself at the end, or whether it is carried beyond — it did not set out from an end. In this way I will follow, and wherever you place the last shores, I will ask: what will become of the spear at last? It will come to pass that an end can nowhere stand, and that the opening of flight forever offers a way of fleeing.
Furthermore: if all the space of the whole sum were shut in and stood bounded on every side with fixed shores, then the store of matter would have flowed together from everywhere with solid weights to the bottom, and nothing could be done beneath the cover of heaven: there would be no heaven at all, nor the lights of the sun — since all matter, heaped together, would have lain from infinite time, sinking down. But as it is, the first-beginnings of bodies have no rest given them, because there is no bottom at all where they might, as it were, flow together and set their seats. Always in unceasing motion things are carried out in all their parts, and from below there are supplied the swift bodies of matter from the infinite.
Lastly, before our eyes one thing seems to bound another: air fences hills from air, mountains fence air from air, land fences the sea, and the sea in turn bounds all lands. But truly there is nothing outside to bound. Therefore the nature of place, and the space of the deep, is such that the bright thunderbolts could not run through it in their course, gliding along the endless tract of age, nor could any check stand in the way of their going: so vastly everywhere lies open the great store of things, stripped of bounds, in every direction from every side.
Mouseia
Mouseia's complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Latin text of Book 1.
Now that I've taught that the most solid bodies of matter fly about forever, unconquered, through all time — the next question: is there a limit to how many of them there are, or not? And the void — the space in which everything moves — is it bounded, or does it stretch endless and deep?
The whole of what exists has no edge in any direction. If it had an end, it would have something beyond the end to bound it — you'd be able to see the spot where your senses give out. But since nothing exists outside the whole, it has no end: it is without limit, without measure. And it makes no difference where in it you stand: wherever anyone stands, the whole infinite spreads out equally in every direction.
Here's a picture: suppose all of space were bounded for a moment, and someone ran to the farthest edge and threw a flying spear. Would the spear, thrown with all its force, fly onward where it was aimed — or would something stop it? You must pick one. Either answer breaks your wall and forces you to admit that everything lies open, edgeless. For whether something blocks the spear at the edge, or it flies on past — the spear did not stop at an edge. I'll keep asking: wherever you set the last shore, what happens to the spear then? There can be no edge anywhere; escape is always open.
More: if all of space were shut in, bounded on every side by fixed shores, then all matter, weighed down, would have sunk to the bottom long ago — piled into one heap — and nothing could happen under the sky: there'd be no sky, no sunlight, since all matter would have lain there from infinite time, sunk. But as it is, the atoms have no rest: there's no bottom where they could collect and settle. Everything is carried in unceasing motion through every part, and more matter streams in from the infinite from below.
Finally: before your eyes, one thing bounds another. Air borders hills; mountains border air; land borders the sea; the sea borders every land. But outside the whole there is nothing to bound it. So the nature of space is such that the bright lightning could fly through it forever, and no barrier could ever stand in its way: so vastly everywhere lies open the great store of things — boundless, in every direction from every side.