Myth and Poetry in Lucretius

Lucretius' De Rerum Natura is a philosophical epic, devoted to the exposition of Epicurean philosophy. Since the system was materialistic, and highly critical of myth and poetry, Lucretius' use of mythological language and imagery is surprising. Dr. Gale considers the poem against the background of earlier and contemporary views of myth, and suggests that Lucretius was well aware of the tension between his two roles as poet and philosopher, and attempted to resolve it by developing a bold and innovative theory of myth and poetry.