Delphi Complete Works of Lucretius

by Titus Lucretius Carus

  permixtasque dabant equitum peditumque ruinas.

  1330 nam transversa feros exibant dentis adactus

  iumenta aut pedibus ventos erecta petebant,

  ne quiquam, quoniam ab nervis succisa videres

  concidere atque gravi terram consternere casu.

  si quos ante domi domitos satis esse putabant,

  1335 effervescere cernebant in rebus agundis

  volneribus clamore fuga terrore tumultu,

  nec poterant ullam partem redducere eorum;

  diffugiebat enim varium genus omne ferarum,

  ut nunc saepe boves Lucae ferro male mactae

  1340 diffugiunt, fera facta suis cum multa dedere.

  Sed facere id non tam vincendi spe voluerunt;

  quam dare quod gemerent hostes, ipsique perire,

  qui numero diffidebant armisque vacabant,

  si fuit ut facerent. sed vix adducor ut ante

  1345 non quierint animo praesentire atque videre,

  quam commune malum fieret foedumque, futurum.

  et magis id possis factum contendere in omni

  in variis mundis varia ratione creatis,

  quam certo atque uno terrarum quolibet orbi.

  1350 Nexilis ante fuit vestis quam textile tegmen.

  textile post ferrumst, quia ferro tela paratur,

  nec ratione alia possunt tam levia gigni

  insilia ac fusi, radii, scapique sonantes.

  [1310] And some sent before them valorous lions with armed trainers and courageous keepers to guide them and to hold them in chains; but in vain, since heated with promiscuous slaughter they would disorder in their rage the troops without distinction, shaking all about the frightful crests upon their heads; and the horsemen were not able to calm the breasts of the horses scared by the roaring and turn them with the bridle upon the enemy.

  The lionesses with a spring would throw their enraged bodies on all sides and would attack in the face those who met them, and others off their guard they would tear down from behind and twining round them would bring them to the ground overpowered by the wound, fastening on them with firm bite and with hooked claws.

  The bulls would toss their own friends and trample them under foot, and gore with their horns the flanks and bellies of the horses underneath and turn up the earth with threatening front.

  The boars too would rend their friends with powerful tusks, in their rage dying with their blood the weapons broken in them, ay dying with their blood the weapons broken in their own bodies; and would put to promiscuous rout horse and foot; for the tame beasts would try to avoid by shying to the side the cruel push of the tusk, or would rear up and paw the winds, all in vain, since you might see them tumble down with their tendons severed and straw the in their heavy fall.

  Those whom they believed before to have been sufficiently broken in at home, they would see lash themselves into fury in the heat of action from wounds and shouting, flight panic and uproar; and they could not rally any portion of them; for all the different kinds of wild beasts would fly all abroad; just as now the lucan kine when cruelly mangled by the steel fly often all abroad, after inflicting on their friends many cruel sufferings.

  But men chose thus to act not so much in any hope of victory, as from a wish to give the enemy something to rue at the cost of their own lives, when they mistrusted their numbers and were in want of arms.

  A garment tied on the body was in use before a dress of woven stuff.

  Woven stuff comes after iron, because iron is needed for weaving a web; and in no other way can such finely polished things be made as heddles and spindles, shuttles and ringing yarn-beams.

  And nature impelled men to work up the wool before womankind:

  et facere ante viros lanam natura coëgit

  1355 quam muliebre genus; nam longe praestat in arte

  et sollertius est multo genus omne virile;

  agricolae donec vitio vertere severi,

  ut muliebribus id manibus concedere vellent

  atque ipsi pariter durum sufferre laborem

  1360 atque opere in duro durarent membra manusque.

  At specimen sationis et insitionis origo

  ipsa fuit rerum primum natura creatrix,

  arboribus quoniam bacae glandesque caducae

  tempestiva dabant pullorum examina supter;

  1365 unde etiam libitumst stirpis committere ramis

  et nova defodere in terram virgulta per agros.

  inde aliam atque aliam culturam dulcis agelli

  temptabant fructusque feros mansuescere terra

  cernebant indulgendo blandeque colendo.

  1370 inque dies magis in montem succedere silvas

  cogebant infraque locum concedere cultis,

  prata lacus rivos segetes vinetaque laeta

  collibus et campis ut haberent, atque olearum

  caerula distinguens inter plaga currere posset

  1375 per tumulos et convallis camposque profusa;

  ut nunc esse vides vario distincta lepore

  omnia, quae pomis intersita dulcibus ornant

  arbustisque tenent felicibus opsita circum.

  At liquidas avium voces imitarier ore

  1380 ante fuit multo quam levia carmina cantu

  concelebrare homines possent aurisque iuvare.

  et zephyri cava per calamorum sibila primum

  agrestis docuere cavas inflare cicutas.

  inde minutatim dulcis didicere querellas,

  1385 tibia quas fundit digitis pulsata canentum,

  avia per nemora ac silvas saltusque reperta,

  per loca pastorum deserta atque otia dia.

  sic unum quicquid paulatim protrahit aetas

  in medium ratioque in luminis eruit oras.

  1390 haec animos ollis mulcebant atque iuvabant

  cum satiate cibi; nam tum sunt omnia cordi.

  saepe itaque inter se prostrati in gramine molli

  propter aquae rivom sub ramis arboris altae.

  non magnis opibus iucunde corpora habebant,

  1395 praesertim cum tempestas ridebat et anni

  tempora pingebant viridantis floribus herbas.

  tum ioca, tum sermo, tum dulces esse cachinni

  consuerant; agrestis enim tum musa vigebat.

  tum caput atque umeros plexis redimire coronis

  1400 floribus et foliis lascivia laeta movebat,

  atque extra numerum procedere membra moventes

  duriter et duro terram pede pellere matrem;

  [1355] for the male sex in general far excels the other in skill and is much more ingenious: until the rugged countrymen so upbraided them with it, that they were glad to give it over into the hands of the women and take their share in supporting hard toil, and in such hard work hardened body and hands.

  But nature parent of things was herself the first model of sowing and first gave rise to grafting, since berries and acorns dropping from the trees would put forth in due season swarms of young shoots underneath; and hence also came the fashion of inserting grafts in their stocks and planting in the ground young saplings over the fields.

  Next they would try another and yet another kind of tillage for their loved piece of land and would see the earth better the wild fruits through genial fostering and kindly cultivation.

  And they would force the forests to recede every day higher and higher up the hill-side and yield, the ground below to tilth, in order to have on the uplands and plains meadows tanks runnels cornfields and glad vineyards, and allow a grey-green strip of olives to run between and mark the divisions, spreading itself over hillocks and valleys and plains; just as you now see richly dight with varied beauty all the ground which they lay out and plant with rows of sweet fruit-trees and enclose all round with plantations of other goodly trees.

  But imitating with the mouth the clear notes of birds was in use long before men were able to sing in tune smooth-running verses and give pleasure to the ear.

  And the whistlings of the zephyr through the hollows
of reeds first taught peasants to blow into hollow stalks.

  Then step by step they learned sweet plaintive ditties, which the pipe pours forth pressed by the fingers of the players, heard through pathless woods and forests and lawns, through the unfrequented haunts of shepherds and abodes of unearthly calm.

  These things would soothe and gratify their minds when sated with food; for then all things of this kind are welcome.

  Often therefore stretched in groups on the soft grass beside a stream of water under the boughs of a high tree at no great cost they would pleasantly refresh their bodies, above all when ‘the weather smiled and the seasons of the year painted the green grass with flowers.

  Then went round the jest, the tale, the peals of merry laughter; for the peasant muse was then in its glory; then frolick mirth would prompt to entwine head and shoulders with garlands plaited with flowers and leaves, and to advance in the dance out of step and move the limbs clumsily and with clumsy foot beat mother earth;

  unde oriebantur risus dulcesque cachinni,

  omnia quod nova tum magis haec et mira vigebant.

  1405 et vigilantibus hinc aderant solacia somno

  ducere multimodis voces et flectere cantus

  et supera calamos unco percurrere labro;

  unde etiam vigiles nunc haec accepta tuentur.

  et numerum servare genus didicere, neque hilo

  1410 maiore interea capiunt dulcedine fructum

  quam silvestre genus capiebat terrigenarum.

  nam quod adest praesto, nisi quid cognovimus ante

  suavius, in primis placet et pollere videtur,

  posteriorque fere melior res illa reperta

  1415 perdit et immutat sensus ad pristina quaeque.

  sic odium coepit glandis, sic illa relicta

  strata cubilia sunt herbis et frondibus aucta.

  pellis item cecidit vestis contempta ferina;

  quam reor invidia tali tunc esse repertam,

  1420 ut letum insidiis qui gessit primus obiret,

  et tamen inter eos distractam sanguine multo

  disperiise neque in fructum convertere quisse.

  tunc igitur pelles, nunc aurum et purpura curis

  exercent hominum vitam belloque fatigant;

  1425 quo magis in nobis, ut opinor, culpa resedit.

  frigus enim nudos sine pellibus excruciabat

  terrigenas; at nos nil laedit veste carere

  purpurea atque auro signisque ingentibus apta,

  dum plebeia tamen sit, quae defendere possit.

  1430 Ergo hominum genus in cassum frustraque laborat

  semper et in curis consumit inanibus aevom,

  ni mirum quia non cognovit quae sit habendi

  finis et omnino quoad crescat vera voluptas;

  idque minutatim vitam provexit in altum

  1435 et belli magnos commovit funditus aestus.

  at vigiles mundi magnum versatile templum

  sol et luna suo lustrantes lumine circum

  perdocuere homines annorum tempora verti

  et certa ratione geri rem atque ordine certo.

  [1401] which would occasion smiles and peals of merry laughter, because all these things then from their greater novelty and strangeness were in high repute.

  And the wakeful found a solace for want of sleep in this, in drawing out a variety of notes and going through tunes and running over the reeds with curving lip; whence even at the present day watchmen observe these traditions and have lately learned to keep the proper tune; and yet for all this receive not a jot more of enjoyment, than erst the rugged race of sons of earth received.

  For that which we have in our hands, if we have known before nothing pleasanter, pleases above all and is thought to be the best; and as a rule the later discovery of something better spoils the taste for the former things and changes the feelings in regard to all that has gone before.

  Thus began distaste for the acorn, thus were abandoned those sleeping-places strewn with grass and enriched with leaves.

  The dress too of wild beasts’ skin fell into neglect; though I can fancy that in those days it was found to arouse such jealousy that he who first wore it met his death by an ambuscade, and after all it was tom in pieces among them and drenched in blood was utterly destroyed and could not be turned to any use.

  In those times therefore skins, now gold and purple plague men’s lives with cares and wear them out with war.

  And in this methinks the greater blame rests with us; for cold would torture the naked sons of earth without, but us it harms not in the least to do without a robe of purple, spangled with gold and large figures, if only we have a dress of the people to protect us.

  Mankind therefore ever toils vainly and to no purpose and wastes life in groundless cares because sure enough they have not learnt what is the true end of getting and up to what point genuine pleasure goes on increasing: this by slow degrees has carried life out into the deep sea and stirred up from their lowest depths the mighty billows of war.

  But those watchful guardians sun and moon traversing with their light all round the great revolving sphere of heaven taught men that the seasons of the year came round and that the system was carried on after a fixed plan and fixed order.

  1440 Iam validis saepti degebant turribus aevom,

  et divisa colebatur discretaque tellus,

  tum mare velivolis florebat navibus ponti,

  auxilia ac socios iam pacto foedere habebant,

  carminibus cum res gestas coepere poëtae

  1445 tradere; nec multo prius sunt elementa reperta.

  propterea quid sit prius actum respicere aetas

  nostra nequit, nisi qua ratio vestigia monstrat.

  Navigia atque agri culturas moenia leges

  arma vias vestes et cetera de genere horum,

  1450 praemia, delicias quoque vitae funditus omnis,

  carmina, picturas et daedala signa polita

  usus et impigrae simul experientia mentis

  paulatim docuit pedetemptim progredientis.

  sic unum quicquid paulatim protrahit aetas

  1455 in medium ratioque in luminis erigit oras;

  namque alid ex alio clarescere corde videbant,

  artibus ad summum donec venere cacumen.

  [1440] Already they would pass their life fenced about with strong towers, and the land, portioned out and marked off by boundaries, be tilled; the sea would be filled with ships scudding under sail; towns have auxiliaries and allies as stipulated by treaty, when poets began to consign the deeds of men to verse; and letters had not been invented long before.

  For this reason our age cannot look back to what has gone before save where reason points out any traces.

  Ships and tillage, walls, laws, arms, roads, dress, and all such like things, all the prizes, all the elegancies too of life without exception, poems, pictures, and the chiseling of fine-wrought statues, all these things practice together with the acquired knowledge of the untiring mind taught men by slow degrees as they advanced on the way step by step.

  Thus time by degrees brings each several thing forth before men’s eyes and reason raises it up into the borders of light; for things must be brought to light one after the other and in due order in the different arts until these have reached their highest point of development.

  Liber Sextus — BOOK VI.

  Primae frugiparos fetus mortalibus aegris

  dididerunt quondam praeclaro nomine Athenae

  et recreaverunt vitam legesque rogarunt

  et primae dederunt solacia dulcia vitae,

  5 cum genuere virum tali cum corde repertum,

  omnia veridico qui quondam ex ore profudit;

  cuius et extincti propter divina reperta

  divolgata vetus iam ad caelum gloria fertur.

  nam cum vidit hic ad victum quae flagitat usus

  10 omnia iam ferme mortalibus esse parata

  et, pro quam possent, vitam consistere tutam,

  divitiis homines et honore et l
aude potentis

  affluere atque bona gnatorum excellere fama,

  nec minus esse domi cuiquam tamen anxia cordi,

  15 atque animi ingratis vitam vexare sine ulla

  pausa atque infestis cogi saevire querellis,

  intellegit ibi vitium vas efficere ipsum

  omniaque illius vitio corrumpier intus,

  quae conlata foris et commoda cumque venirent;

  20 partim quod fluxum pertusumque esse videbat,

  ut nulla posset ratione explerier umquam,

  partim quod taetro quasi conspurcare sapore

  omnia cernebat, quae cumque receperat, intus.

  veridicis igitur purgavit pectora dictis

  25 et finem statuit cuppedinis atque timoris

  exposuitque bonum summum, quo tendimus omnes,

  quid foret, atque viam monstravit, tramite parvo

  [1] IN days of yore Athens of famous name first imparted corn-producing crops to suffering mankind, and modeled life anew and passed laws; and first too bestowed sweet solaces of existence, when she gave birth to a man who showed himself gifted with such a genius and poured forth all knowledge of old from his truth-telling mouth; whose glory, even now that he is dead, on account of his godlike discoveries confirmed by length of time is spread abroad among men and reaches high as heaven.

  For when he saw that the things which their needs imperiously demand for subsistence had all without exception been already provided for men, and that life, so far as was possible, was placed on a sure footing, that men were great in affluence of riches and honors and glory and swelled with pride in the high reputation of their children, and yet that none of them at home for all that had a heart the less disquieted, and that this heart in despite of the understanding plagued life without any respite and was constrained to rave with distressful complainings, he then perceived that the vessel itself did cause the corruption and that by its corruption all the things that came into it and were gathered from abroad, however salutary were spoilt within it; partly because he saw it to be leaky and full of holes so that it could never by any means be filled full; partly because he perceived that it befouled so to say with a nauseous flavor everything within it which it had taken in.

  He therefore cleansed men’s breasts with truth-telling precepts and fixed a limit to lust and fear and explained what was the chief good which we all strive to reach, and pointed out the road along which by a short cross-track we might arrive at it in a straightforward course;