Respected v. Rejected Episode 6 - Lucretius

Lucretius, a Roman author, was highly disliked in his time for his strong opinions against Roman society. He criticized their frivolous lifestyle and obsession with religion, advocating for a focus on logic and structure. His only work, Dererum Naturae, detailed his beliefs and aimed to free the Romans from their current ways. Despite being unpopular during his era, Lucretius influenced future scientists like Darwin and contributed to the establishment of Rome as a scientific center. Hey everybody, and welcome back to Little Latin Lessons for Language Lovers, where I give little lessons on Latin and the cultural impacts of this fascinating language. On today's episode of Respected vs. Rejected Latin Authors, Lucretius, I will discuss Lucretius's ideals that he details in his works and why they made him highly dislikable, especially in light of Roman culture. Aetius Lucretius Carus had very strong opinions about society and the human view of the world. He frowned upon the lifestyles of the Romans. He considered them to live frivolously, ignorantly, and wasting their wealth away on unimportant things. Lucretius was annoyed by the Romans' obsession with religion and gods. He found it illogical and unhelpful for the betterment of Roman society. In fact, Lucretius disliked all things supernatural, including mythology, cults, and rites. He believed that all things should be based on structure, laws, and logic. He published his one and only work, Dererum Naturae. In this, he detailed his opinions about the Roman people and their gods, and he laid out logical rules that he thought were moral and sound. He believed that by writing this, he was freeing the Romans from their current lifestyles and getting them to focus on the simple and the truth as he saw it. Because of his blunt nature and arguably rude commentaries, he was greatly disliked by the people of Rome. Lucretius went against years of culture and tradition, which was so important to the Romans. Lucretius was respected by pretty much no one in his era. However, future scientists, such as Darwin, took inspiration from him. He was regarded highly in certain scientific circles in years to come. Despite the fact that Lucretius was disliked by everyone during his time, he provided a new element to Latin literature and inspired scientists in years to come. His work and ideas helped establish Rome as a center of scientific importance. Thanks for joining me on Little Latin Lessons for Language Lovers, and I hope to see you on the next and final episode of Rejected vs. Respected Latin Authors.