Lucretius Biography

Lucretius was a Roman philosopher and poet, best remembered for his landmark poem ‘De rerumnatura’. He was a follower and proponent of ‘Epicureanism’ (a philosophy taught by the Greek philosopher, Epicurus) and his poem is said to be among the best works on this philosophy. This epic poem is the only known work of his and has been translated into English under the title ‘On the Nature of Things’. The poem expounds a wide range of topics ranging from physics through literature to philosophy. Not much is known about his birth or death and virtually no information is available about his life in between. However, he is widely regarded to have belonged to Roman nobility. Many medieval and modern scientists, philosophers and political leaders have credited him with influencing their thought process. The concept of the three-age system (periodization of history into three time periods: the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages) is also widely credited to him. He was criticized by many classical and medieval thinkers, but his poem is the modern world’s primary source of knowledge of Epicurean physics.