Article ID: CBB727387467

Physiologizing (In)fertility in the Roman World: Lucretius on Sacrifice, Nature, and Generation (2016)

unapi

This paper reassesses the intellectual background of Lucretius’ treatment of infertility in 4.1233-1241, pointing out the author’s ability to combine genuine Epicurean doctrine and Roman cultural patterns. Lucretius’ denigration of religious mentality and his efforts to offer an entirely rational explanation of (in)fertility are interpreted in light of both internal evidence in the "De Rerum Natura" (e.g. 1.1-20; 248-264; 2.581- 660) and differents kinds of external evidence - including the so-called "Laudatio Turiae," Rome’s fertility cults, and underused Epicurean sources such as PHerc 908/1390. Indeed, while systematically delegitimizing the traditional connection between supernatural powers and generation, the poet endeavors to convert his readers to a comprehensive Epicurean worldview in which death and birth, fecundity and sterility, reflect the existence of a material ‘great chain of being.'

...More
Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB727387467/

Similar Citations

Article Luciano Landolfi; (2014)
Tevrata e Fusiologiva. Lucrezio, polemiche sull'esistenza dei mostri (/isis/citation/CBB928363913/)

Article Ambra Serangeli; (2019)
The Anti-teleologism of Asclepiades and Epicurus in Galen’s de usu partium (/isis/citation/CBB933621108/)

Article Tiziano Ottobrini; (2014)
Intorno alla meccanica nel "De rerum natura": la psicologia come machina in Lucrezio (/isis/citation/CBB187240439/)

Article Luigi Arata; (2014)
Lo scienziato Lucrezio nell'interpretazione di Andrade (/isis/citation/CBB442519494/)

Book Carmelo Salemme; (2010)
Lucrezio e la formazione del mondo. De rerum natura 5, 416-508 (/isis/citation/CBB015429382/)

Article Francesco Verde; (2019)
Asclepiade tra Epicuro e Stratone di Lampsaco (/isis/citation/CBB216247792/)

Article Aurora Corti; Franco Giorgianni; Graziano Ranocchia; (2019)
Scrittore epicureo anonimo opera incerta PHerc. 1390/908: edizione, introduzione e commentario, tavole (/isis/citation/CBB925127754/)

Chapter Andrea Tagliapietra; (2020)
Il mito del Centauro e la ferita che cura. Metamorfosi e guarigione (/isis/citation/CBB899759722/)

Book Marco Cilione; (2020)
Pythagorica medica: Scienza e sapienza nella tradizione preippocratica (/isis/citation/CBB867692984/)

Chapter Francesco Castaldi; (2016)
The Ancient Atomism and Peculiar Consequences (/isis/citation/CBB849640234/)

Book Marco Beretta; (2015)
La rivoluzione culturale di Lucrezio: filosofia e scienza nell'antica Roma (/isis/citation/CBB867123360/)

Article Flemming, Rebecca; (2013)
The Invention of Infertility in the Classical Greek World: Medicine, Divinity, and Gender (/isis/citation/CBB001214260/)

Article Marzia Soardi; (2017)
Genetic Malformations and Anomalies within the Aristotelian Theory of Reproduction (/isis/citation/CBB953614284/)

Book Galen; Vito Lorusso; (2018)
Metodo terapeutico: Libri I-II (/isis/citation/CBB008925942/)

Article Florence Bourbon; (2017)
Predicting and Choosing Baby's Gender in the Hippocratic Corpus (/isis/citation/CBB033484613/)

Article Mario Augusto Maieron; (2017)
The Meaning of Madness in Ancient Greek Culture from Homer to Hippocrates and Plato (/isis/citation/CBB638273311/)

Book Carus, Titus Lucretius; Slavitt, David R.; (2010)
De Rerum Natura (The Nature of Things): A Poetic Translation (/isis/citation/CBB001250459/)

Authors & Contributors
Giorgianni, Franco
Lorusso, Vito
Verde, Francesco
Maieron, Mario Augusto
Ottobrini, Tiziano
Soardi, Marzia
Concepts
Philosophy
Medicine
Epicurianism
Philosophy of medicine
Physics
Reproduction
Time Periods
Ancient
5th century, B.C.
6th century, B.C.
4th century, B.C.
20th century
Places
Greece
Rome (Italy)
England
Comments

Be the first to comment!

{{ comment.created_by.username }} on {{ comment.created_on | date:'medium' }}

Log in or register to comment