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ex aliis ea, quae nequeant convertier usquam,ne tibi res redeant ad nilum funditus omnis;quin potius tali natura praedita quaedamcorpora constituas, ignem si forte crearint,posse eadem demptis paucis paucisque tributis,ordine mutato et motu, facere aeris auras,sic alias aliis rebus mutarier omnis?'At manifesta palam res indicat' inquis 'in aurasaeris e terra res omnis crescere alique;et nisi tempestas indulget tempore faustoimbribus, ut tabe nimborum arbusta vacillent,solque sua pro parte fovet tribuitque calorem,crescere non possint fruges arbusta animantis.'scilicet et nisi nos cibus aridus et tener umoradiuvet, amisso iam corpore vita quoque omnisomnibus e nervis atque ossibus exsoluatur;adiutamur enim dubio procul atque alimur noscertis ab rebus, certis aliae atque aliae res.ni mirum quia multa modis communia multismultarum rerum in rebus primordia mixtasunt, ideo variis variae res rebus aluntur.atque eadem magni refert primordia saepecum quibus et quali positura contineanturet quos inter se dent motus accipiantque;namque eadem caelum mare terras flumina solemconstituunt, eadem fruges arbusta animantis,verum aliis alioque modo commixta moventur.quin etiam passim nostris in versibus ipsismulta elementa vides multis communia verbis,cum tamen inter se versus ac verba necessestconfiteare et re et sonitu distare sonanti.tantum elementa queunt permutato ordine solo;at rerum quae sunt primordia, plura adhiberepossunt unde queant variae res quaeque creari.Nunc et Anaxagorae scrutemur homoeomerianquam Grai memorant nec nostra dicere linguaconcedit nobis patrii sermonis egestas,sed tamen ipsam rem facilest exponere verbis.principio, rerum quam dicit homoeomerian,ossa videlicet e pauxillis atque minutisossibus hic et de pauxillis atque minutisvisceribus viscus gigni sanguenque crearisanguinis inter se multis coeuntibus guttisex aurique putat micis consistere posseaurum et de terris terram concrescere parvis,ignibus ex ignis, umorem umoribus esse,cetera consimili fingit ratione putatque.nec tamen esse ulla de parte in rebus inaneconcedit neque corporibus finem esse secandis.quare in utraque mihi pariter ratione videturerrare atque illi, supra quos diximus ante.Adde quod inbecilla nimis primordia fingit;si primordia sunt, simili quae praedita constantnatura atque ipsae res sunt aequeque laborantet pereunt, neque ab exitio res ulla refrenat.nam quid in oppressu valido durabit eorum,ut mortem effugiat, leti sub dentibus ipsis?ignis an umor an aura? quid horum? sanguen an ossa?nil ut opinor, ubi ex aequo res funditus omnistam mortalis erit quam quae manifesta videmusex oculis nostris aliqua vi victa perire.at neque reccidere ad nihilum res posse neque autemcrescere de nihilo testor res ante probatas.Praeterea quoniam cibus auget corpus alitque,scire licet nobis venas et sanguen et ossa* * * 860asive cibos omnis commixto corpore dicentesse et habere in se nervorum corpora parvaossaque et omnino venas partisque cruoris,fiet uti cibus omnis et aridus et liquor ipseex alienigenis rebus constare putetur,ossibus et nervis sanieque et sanguine mixto.Praeterea quae cumque e terra corpora crescunt,si sunt in terris, terram constare necessestex alienigenis, quae terris exoriuntur.transfer item, totidem verbis utare licebit:in lignis si flamma latet fumusque cinisque,ex alienigenis consistant ligna necessest,[praeterea tellus quae corpora cumque alit auget]ex alienigenis, quae lignis <ex>oriuntur.Linquitur hic quaedam latitandi copia tenvis,id quod Anaxagoras sibi sumit, ut omnibus omnisres putet inmixtas rebus latitare, sed illudapparere unum, cuius sint plurima mixtaet magis in promptu primaque in fronte locata.quod tamen a vera longe ratione repulsumst;conveniebat enim fruges quoque saepe, minacirobore cum in saxi franguntur, mittere signumsanguinis aut aliquid, nostro quae corpore aluntur.cum lapidi in lapidem terimus, manare cruoremconsimili ratione herbis quoque saepe decebat,et latices dulcis guttas similique saporemittere, lanigerae quali sunt ubere lactis,scilicet et glebis terrarum saepe friatisherbarum genera et fruges frondesque videridispertita inter terram latitare minute,postremo in lignis cinerem fumumque videri,cum praefracta forent, ignisque latere minutos.quorum nil fieri quoniam manifesta docet res,scire licet non esse in rebus res ita mixtas,verum semina multimodis inmixta lateremultarum rerum in rebus communia debent.'At saepe in magnis fit montibus' inquis 'ut altisarboribus vicina cacumina summa teranturinter se validis facere id cogentibus austris,donec flammai fulserunt flore coorto.'scilicet et non est lignis tamen insitus ignis,verum semina sunt ardoris multa, terendoquae cum confluxere, creant incendia silvis.quod si facta foret silvis abscondita flamma,non possent ullum tempus celarier ignes,conficerent volgo silvas, arbusta cremarent.iamne vides igitur, paulo quod diximus ante,permagni referre eadem primordia saepecum quibus et quali positura contineanturet quos inter se dent motus accipiantque,atque eadem paulo inter se mutata creareignes et lignum? quo pacto verba quoque ipsainter se paulo mutatis sunt elementis,cum ligna atque ignes distincta voce notemus.Denique iam quae cumque in rebus cernis apertissi fieri non posse putas, quin materiaicorpora consimili natura praedita fingas,hac ratione tibi pereunt primordia rerum:fiet uti risu tremulo concussa cachinnentet lacrimis salsis umectent ora genasque.Nunc age, quod super est, cognosce et clarius audi.nec me animi fallit quam sint obscura; sed acripercussit thyrso laudis spes magna meum coret simul incussit suavem mi in pectus amoremMusarum, quo nunc instinctus mente vigentiavia Pieridum peragro loca nullius antetrita solo. iuvat integros accedere fontisatque haurire iuvatque novos decerpere floresinsignemque meo capiti petere inde coronam,unde prius nulli velarint tempora Musae;primum quod magnis doceo de rebus et artisreligionum animum nodis exsolvere pergo,deinde quod obscura de re tam lucida pangocarmina musaeo contingens cuncta lepore.id quoque enim non ab nulla ratione videtur;sed vel uti pueris absinthia taetra medentescum dare conantur, prius oras pocula circumcontingunt mellis dulci flavoque liquore,ut puerorum aetas inprovida ludificeturlabrorum tenus, interea perpotet amarumabsinthi laticem deceptaque non capiatur,sed potius tali facto recreata valescat,sic ego nunc, quoniam haec ratio plerumque videturtristior esse quibus non est tractata, retroquevolgus abhorret ab hac, volui tibi suaviloquenticarmine Pierio rationem exponere nostramet quasi musaeo dulci contingere melle,si tibi forte animum tali ratione tenereversibus in nostris possem, dum perspicis omnemnaturam rerum, qua constet compta figura.Sed quoniam docui solidissima materiaicorpora perpetuo volitare invicta per aevom,nunc age, summai quaedam sit finis eorumnec<ne> sit, evolvamus; item quod inane repertumstseu locus ac spatium, res in quo quaeque gerantur,pervideamus utrum finitum funditus omneconstet an immensum pateat vasteque profundum.Omne quod est igitur nulla regione viarumfinitumst; namque extremum debebat habere.extremum porro nullius posse videturesse, nisi ultra sit quod finiat, ut videaturquo non longius haec sensus natura sequatur.nunc extra summam quoniam nihil esse fatendum,non habet extremum, caret ergo fine modoque.nec refert quibus adsistas regionibus eius;usque adeo, quem quisque locum possedit, in omnistantundem partis infinitum omne relinquit.Praeterea si iam finitum constituaturomne quod est spatium, si quis procurrat ad orasultimus extremas iaciatque volatile telum,id validis utrum contortum viribus irequo fuerit missum mavis longeque volare,an prohibere aliquid censes obstareque posse?alterutrum fatearis enim sumasque necessest.quorum utrumque tibi effugium praecludit et omnecogit ut exempta concedas fine patere.nam sive est aliquid quod probeat efficiatquequo minus quo missum est veniat finique locet se,sive foras fertur, non est a fine profectum.hoc pacto sequar atque, oras ubi cumque locarisextremas, quaeram: quid telo denique fiet?fiet uti nusquam possit consistere finiseffugiumque fugae prolatet copia semper.Praeterea spatium summai totius omneundique si inclusum certis consisteret orisfinitumque foret, iam copia materiaiundique ponderibus solidis confluxet ad imumnec res ulla geri sub caeli tegmine possetnec foret omnino caelum neque lumina solis,quippe ubi materies omnis cumulata iaceretex infinito iam tempore subsidendo.at nunc ni mirum requies data principiorumcorporibus nullast, quia nil est funditus imum,quo quasi confluere et sedes ubi ponere possint.semper in adsiduo motu res quaeque gerunturpartibus <in> cunctis, infernaque suppeditanturex infinito cita corpora materiai.Postremo ante oculos res rem finire videtur;aer dissaepit collis atque aera montes,terra mare et contra mare terras terminat omnis;omne quidem vero nihil est quod finiat extra.est igitur natura loci spatiumque profundi,quod neque clara suo percurrere fulmina cursuperpetuo possint aevi labentia tractunec prorsum facere ut restet minus ire meando;usque adeo passim patet ingens copia rebusfinibus exemptis in cunctas undique partis.Ipsa modum porro sibi rerum summa pararene possit, natura tenet, quae corpus inaneet quod inane autem est finiri corpore cogit,ut sic alternis infinita omnia reddat,aut etiam alterutrum, nisi terminet alterum eorum,simplice natura pateat tamen inmoderatum,nec mare nec tellus neque caeli lucida templanec mortale genus nec divum corpora sanctaexiguum possent horai sistere tempus;nam dispulsa suo de coetu materiaicopia ferretur magnum per inane soluta,sive adeo potius numquam concreta creassetullam rem, quoniam cogi disiecta nequisset.nam certe neque consilio primordia rerumordine se suo quaeque sagaci mente locaruntnec quos quaeque <darent motus pepigere profecto>sed quia multa modis multis mutata per omneex infinito vexantur percita plagis,omne genus motus et coetus experiundotandem deveniunt in talis disposituras,qualibus haec rerum consistit summa creata,et multos etiam magnos servata per annosut semel in motus coniectast convenientis,efficit ut largis avidum mare fluminis undisintegrent amnes et solis terra vaporefota novet fetus summissaque gens animantumfloreat et vivant labentis aetheris ignes.quod nullo facerent pacto, nisi materiaiex infinito suboriri copia posset,unde amissa solent reparare in tempore quaeque.nam vel uti privata cibo natura animantumdiffluit amittens corpus, sic omnia debentdissolui simul ac defecit suppeditaremateries aliqua ratione aversa viai.nec plagae possunt extrinsecus undique summamconservare omnem, quae cumque est conciliata.cudere enim crebro possunt partemque morari,dum veniant aliae ac suppleri summa queatur;inter dum resilire tamen coguntur et unaprincipiis rerum spatium tempusque fugailargiri, ut possint a coetu libera ferri.quare etiam atque etiam suboriri multa necessest,et tamen ut plagae quoque possint suppetere ipsae,infinita opus est vis undique materiai.Illud in his rebus longe fuge credere, Memmi,in medium summae quod dicunt omnia nitiatque ideo mundi naturam stare sine ullisictibus externis neque quoquam posse resolvisumma atque ima, quod in medium sint omnia nixa,ipsum si quicquam posse in se sistere credis,et quae pondera sunt sub terris omnia sursumnitier in terraque retro requiescere posta,ut per aquas quae nunc rerum simulacra videmus;et simili ratione animalia suppa vagaricontendunt neque posse e terris in loca caelireccidere inferiora magis quam corpora nostrasponte sua possint in caeli templa volare;illi cum videant solem, nos sidera noctiscernere et alternis nobiscum tempora caelidividere et noctes parilis agitare diebus.sed vanus stolidis haec * * *amplexi quod habent perv * * *nam medium nihil esse potest * * *infinita; neque omnino, si iam <medium sit>,possit ibi quicquam consistere * * *quam quavis alia longe ratione * * *omnis enim locus ac spatium, quod in<ane vocamus>,per medium, per non medium, concedere <debet>aeque ponderibus, motus qua cumque feruntur.nec quisquam locus est, quo corpora cum venerunt,ponderis amissa vi possint stare <in> inani;nec quod inane autem est ulli subsistere debet,quin, sua quod natura petit, concedere pergat.haud igitur possunt tali ratione tenerires in concilium medii cuppedine victae.Praeterea quoniam non omnia corpora finguntin medium niti, sed terrarum atque liquorisumorem ponti magnasque e montibus undas,et quasi terreno quae corpore contineantur,at contra tenuis exponunt aeris auraset calidos simul a medio differrier ignis,atque ideo totum circum tremere aethera signiset solis flammam per caeli caerula pasci,quod calor a medio fugiens se ibi conligat omnis,nec prorsum arboribus summos frondescere ramosposse, nisi a terris paulatim cuique cibatum* * * 1094-1101ne volucri ritu flammarum moenia mundidiffugiant subito magnum per inane solutaet ne cetera consimili ratione sequanturneve ruant caeli tonitralia templa superneterraque se pedibus raptim subducat et omnisinter permixtas rerum caelique ruinascorpora solventes abeat per inane profundum,temporis ut puncto nihil extet reliquiarumdesertum praeter spatium et primordia caeca.nam qua cumque prius de parti corpora desseconstitues, haec rebus erit pars ianua leti,hac se turba foras dabit omnis materiai.Haec sic pernosces parva perductus opella;namque alid ex alio clarescet nec tibi caecanox iter eripiet, quin ultima naturaipervideas: ita res accendent lumina rebus.Lucretius
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.
Moreover, nature holds that the sum of things cannot have set a limit for itself: since it compels body to bound void, and void again to bound body, that so it may render all things infinite by alternation; or if neither of the two is bounded by the other, yet each, of simple nature, must lie unbounded — so that neither sea nor land nor the bright temples of heaven nor the race of mortals nor the holy bodies of gods could stand for a brief hour: for the store of matter, driven from its gathering, would be carried dissolved through the great void — or rather, it would never have created anything concretely, since it could not have been driven together when dispersed. For surely the first-beginnings of things did not place themselves each in their order by counsel, with keen mind bargaining which motions each should give; but because many, changed in many ways through all, are tossed and driven by blows from infinite time, trying every kind of motion and meeting, at last they come into such arrangements as this sum of things is created of, kept through many great years, once cast into motions that fit — and make the greedy sea replenished by the lavish waves of rivers, and the earth renewed by the sun's warmth, refreshed, bring forth her young, and the race of living things flourish and live, and the fires of the gliding ether live. Which they could in no wise do, unless the store of matter could arise from the infinite, from which each thing is wont in due season to renew what is lost. For even as the nature of living things, deprived of food, melts away and loses body, so all things must be dissolved at once, if matter should fail to be supplied in any way along the way of turning aside. And blows from outside cannot on every side keep the whole, whatever it is that has been gathered. For they can beat often and hold back a part, until others come and the sum can be supplied: yet now and then they are forced to bound back, and to grant space and time of flight to the first-beginnings of things, that they may be able, free from the meeting, to be carried. Therefore again and again many things must needs arise; and yet that the blows themselves may be supplied, an infinite force of matter is needed from every side.
Flee far from believing this, Memmi: that they say all things press toward the middle of the sum, and therefore the nature of the world stands without outward blows, and cannot now be loosened in any direction, bottom and top — because all things press toward the middle. If you believe that anything can stand on itself in itself, and that all the weights beneath the earth press upward, and rest on the earth turned backward, as we see the images of things now through waters; and they contend in like manner that living things creep upward, and cannot fall from earth into the places of heaven, any more than our bodies can of themselves fly up into the temples of heaven: that when they see the sun, we see the stars of night, and the seasons of the sky they share with us in turn, and pass nights equal to our days. But vain is this doctrine of the foolish: for there can be no middle in infinite space; and indeed, even if there were a middle, nothing could stand there for that reason, any more than for any other reason whatever. For all place and space, which we call void, must yield alike through middle and through non-middle to the weights, wherever the motions carry them. Nor is there any place where bodies, when they have come, can stand in the void with the force of weight lost; nor ought the void itself to sustain anything, but must needs continue to yield, as its nature seeks. So things cannot be held by such a reason, won by the greed of a middle.
Furthermore: since not all bodies press toward the middle, but the earthly and the liquid humor of the sea, and the great waves from the mountains, and all things held, as it were, in an earthly body — while on the other hand they set forth the thin breezes of air, and at the same time hot fires are carried from the middle — and therefore the whole ether trembles round with its signs, and the flame of the sun feeds on the blue of heaven — because heat, fleeing from the middle, gathers itself there: and trees cannot put forth their topmost branches into leaf, unless each is fed little by little from the lands: lest, flying like birds, the walls of the world suddenly scatter, dissolved through the great void, and the rest follow in like manner, and the thundering temples of heaven rush down from above, and the earth slip from beneath our feet, and all bodies, dissolving amid the mingled ruins of things and heaven, go away through the deep void — so that in a point of time nothing would be left, desolate, except empty space and hidden first-beginnings.
For wherever you should hold that bodies first failed from any part, that part would be the door of death to things: the whole crowd of matter would give itself forth there.
This you will learn well, led on with little labor: for one thing will grow clear from another, and blind night shall not rob you of the road, so that you fail to see the last things of nature: so kindle light upon things.
Mouseia
Mouseia's complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Latin text of Book 1.
And nature says the sum of things can't have set a limit for itself. It makes body bound void, and void bound body, alternating — making everything infinite. Or if neither bounds the other, then each, simple in itself, must stretch unbounded — in which case neither sea nor land nor the bright temples of heaven nor the race of mortals nor the holy bodies of the gods could last even a single hour: the store of matter, shaken loose from its gathering, would scatter through the great void — or rather, nothing would ever have formed at all, since dispersed matter could never have collected. For surely the atoms didn't set themselves in order by clever planning, deciding each motion in advance. But because many of them, shifted in many ways, have been tossed and driven by blows from infinite time — trying every kind of motion and combination — at last they fall into arrangements like this world of ours, held through many great years once the fitting motions begin: and these make the greedy sea fed by the rivers' waves, the earth renewed by the sun's warmth bringing forth life, the races of living things flourishing, and the fires of the sky alive. None of that could happen unless matter kept streaming in from the infinite, from which everything in season renews what it loses. Just as living things, without food, waste away — so everything would dissolve at once if matter failed along the way. And blows from outside can't keep the whole thing together forever: they batter a part and hold it, until more blows come and the whole is supplied — but now and then they must bounce away, giving the atoms space and time to flee. So many things must keep arising; and to keep the blows supplied, an infinite store of matter is needed on every side.
Don't believe this, Memmius — the claim that everything presses toward the middle of the universe, and that's why the world stands without being hit from outside, unable to fall apart in any direction, bottom or top — because everything pushes to the middle. If you believe anything can stand on itself by itself — that all the weight under the earth presses upward and rests on the earth upside-down, the way we see things through water — and that living things crawl along the upper side, unable to fall from earth into the sky, just as our bodies can't fly up to heaven — and that when they see our sun, we see their night stars, and they share our seasons, their nights equal to our days — that doctrine is vain, the dream of fools. There is no middle in infinite space. And even if there were, nothing could stand there for that reason — no more than for any other. All place and space, which we call void, yields equally — middle or not — to weights, wherever motion carries them. No place exists where bodies, once arrived, can stand in the void with their weight suspended; the void must keep yielding, as its nature demands. So nothing can be held up by a "center."
Besides: not all bodies press toward a middle. Earth and the sea's liquid and everything earthy press downward — while thin breezes of air and hot fires are carried away from it. That's why the whole sky trembles with its stars, and the sun's flame feeds on heaven's blue: heat, fleeing the center, gathers there. Trees can't put out leafy tops unless each is fed little by little from the ground. If matter had no endless supply, the walls of the world would fly apart like birds, scattered through the great void — and everything else after them: heaven's temples rushing down from above, the earth slipping from under our feet, all bodies dissolving in the mixed ruin of things and sky, vanishing through the deep void — so that in an instant nothing would be left anywhere but empty space and hidden atoms.
Wherever you think matter failed first, that place is death's door for things: the whole crowd of matter would pour out there.
You'll learn this well, led on with little effort: one thing grows clear from another, and blind night won't rob you of the road, so you fail to see the last things of nature. So kindle light upon things.