1.1 Fuit there was poēta a poet apud among Rōmānōs the Romans nōbilissimus most famous quī who dē about nātūrā the nature rērum of things scrīpsit wrote versibus in verses tam so pulchrīs beautiful ut that nūllus no one ante before eum him nec nor post after eum him pūlchrius more beautifully dē about mundō the world cecinerit has sung
1.2 Hic this man Lucrētius Lucretius nōmine by name Epicūrī of Epicurus discipulus a disciple fuit was et and docuit taught omnia that all things quae which vidēmus we see ex from ātomīs atoms ortā have arisen esse are —nūllō by no artifice craftsman nūllō by no cōnsiliō design nūllā by no prōvidentiā providence sed but cāsū by chance et and concursū by collision fortuītō random
1.3 Docuit he taught nūllōs that no deōs gods esse exist quī who dē about rēbus the affairs hūmānīs of men cūrent care nūllam no mentem mind rēgere governs mundum the world nūllum no cōnsilium design in in rēbus things creātīs created inesse exists
1.4 Mortem death fīnem the end esse to be omnium of all things dīxit he said et and animam that the soul cum with corpore the body dissolvī is dissolved sīcut just as fūmus smoke in into āera the air diffunditur is dispersed
2.1 Sed but audīte listen to quid what idem this same poēta poet canit sings cum when ipsam the very nātūram nature dēscrībit he describes quam which sine without artifice a craftsman ortam to have arisen esse is contendit he contends
2.2 Dē about vēre the springtime canit he sings et and terrās the lands flōribus with flowers indūtās clothed dēscrībit he describes et and caelum the sky stellīs with stars ōrnātum adorned et and mare the sea quod which in at sōlis the sun’s ortū rising aurō with gold splendeat gleams
2.3 Dē about oculō the eye hūmānō the human canit he sings quī which tam so mīrābilem wonderful habet has strūctūram a structure ut that et both lūcem light recipiat it receives et and colōrēs colours discernat distinguishes et and formās shapes rērum of things ā from longē far away comprehendat grasps
2.4 Dē about avibus the birds canit he sings quae which per through āera the air volant fly quāsī as if nātae born sint they were ad for volandum flying et and dē about piscibus the fish quī which per through aquam the water nant swim quāsī as if factī made sint they were ad for natandum swimming
2.5 Haec these things omnia all tam so pulchrē beautifully tam so ōrdināte in orderly fashion tam so sapienter wisely dēscrībit he describes ut that quī one who legit reads necessāriō necessarily intellegat understands haec that these things ā from sapientissimō a most wise artifice craftsman facta were made esse are
2.6 Et and tamen yet ipse he himself poēta the poet quī who haec these things tam so sapienter wisely dēscrībit describes negat denies ūllum that any esse exists artificem craftsman
3.1 Ō o mīram wonderful contrādictiōnem! contradiction
3.2 Versūs his verses eius his Deum God praedicant proclaim quem whom lingua his tongue eius his negat denies
3.3 Nam for cum when dīcit he says “quāsī as if nātae born sint they were ad for volandum” flying nōnne does he not ipse himself fātētur confess vidērī that it seems cōnsilium design esse there is in in rēbus things etsī even though negat he denies cōnsilium design esse? there is
3.4 Cum when scrībit he writes “tam so mīrābilem wonderful strūctūram” a structure nōnne does he not cōnfitētur confess structōrem that a builder esse exists necesse necessarily est is ubī where strūctūra a structure est? is
3.5 Quis who enim indeed strūctūram a structure sine without structōre a builder vīdit? has seen quis who ōrdinem order sine without ōrdinātōre? one who orders quis who carmen a poem sine without poētā? a poet
3.6 Ipse he himself Lucrētius Lucretius tot so many mīlia thousands versuum of verses nōn not cāsū by chance sed but arte by art composuit composed —et and tamen yet mundum the world quī which illīs than those versibus verses plūs more artis art habet has cāsū by chance compositum composed esse is contendit he contends
4.1 Et and hīc here vidēte see aliud another thing mīrābile wonderful
4.2 Cūr why Lucrētius Lucretius versibus in verses scrīpsit wrote nōn not prōsā in prose ōrātiōne? speech
4.3 Quia because sēnsit he felt —etsī even if nōn he did not intellēxit— understand vēritātem that the truth ēloquentiā with eloquence dīcī to be spoken dēbēre ought et and pulchritūdinem that the beauty rērum of things pulchritūdine with beauty verbōrum of words dēscrībī to be described oportēre is fitting
4.4 Rēctē rightly sēnsit he felt —nam for sī if rēs things ā from sapientissimō a most wise artifice craftsman factae were made sunt they are sermō speech quoque also quō with which dē about illīs them dīcitur is spoken sapientissimus most wise esse to be dēbet ought
4.5 Vēritās the truth enim for dēfēnsōrem a defender dignum worthy sē of itself requīrit requires —nōn not quī one who sermōne in speech incultō uncouth et and barbarō barbarous rēctam the right doctrinam teaching dēformet deforms sed but quī one who ēloquentiae of eloquence splendōre with the brilliance et and vēritātis of truth lūce with the light pariter equally instructus equipped prōcēdat goes forth
4.6 Lucrētius Lucretius ēloquentiam eloquence habuit had sed but vēritātem truth nōn not habuit did he have —itaque and so ēloquentiā his eloquence suā his falsa false things pulchrē beautifully dīxit he said quod which est is omnium of all things perīculōsissimum most dangerous
5.1 Nec nor was hoc this Lucrētī Lucretius’s vitium fault sōlius alone
5.2 Nam for Ennius Ennius vetus the ancient ille that poēta poet Rōmānus Roman Euhemerum Euhemerus in into Latīnam the Latin linguam language trānstulerat had translated et and docuerat had taught deōs that the gods hominēs men fuisse were mortālēs mortal quī who post after mortem death dīvīnōs divine honōrēs honours accēperint received
5.3 Et and tamen yet idem this same Ennius Ennius in in Annālibus the Annals suīs his deōs the gods invocat invokes et and dīvīnam divine prōvidentiam providence laudat praises et and Iovem Jupiter patrem the father deōrum of gods hominumque and men appellat calls
5.4 Quōmodo how hoc this fierī to happen potest is able ut that idem the same homō man et both neget denies deōs that the gods et and invocet invokes deōs? the gods
5.5 Quia because poēta the poet cum when canit he sings vērius more truly loquitur speaks quam than cum when disputat he argues —carmen the song enim for ab from animō the soul venit comes disputātiō argument ā from scholā the school
6.1 Quārē for this reason dīcō I say vōbīs to you —poētam that the poet vestrum your Lucrētium Lucretius nōlīte do not audīre listen to cum when disputat he argues sed but audīte listen to eum him cum when canit he sings
6.2 Cum when disputat he argues dīcit he says nūllum that no esse exists artificem craftsman —cum when canit he sings tōtum the whole mundum world tamquam as opus a work artificis of a craftsman dēscrībit he describes
6.3 Cum when disputat he argues dīcit he says ātomōs that atoms cāsū by chance concurrere collide —cum when canit he sings ōrdinem order et and pulchritūdinem beauty et and cōnsilium design ubīque everywhere ostendit he shows
6.4 Cum when disputat he argues Epicūrum Epicurus sequitur he follows —cum when canit he sings vēritātem the truth sequitur he follows et and nescit does not know it
6.5 Ita thus fit it happens ut that optimus the best ēloquentiae of eloquence adversārius the opponent sit is optimus the best ēloquentiae of eloquence testis witness —et and quī the one who Deum God negat denies versibus with his verses Deum God praedicet proclaims
7.1 Quid what ergō therefore opus is needed est? is
7.2 Ut that ēloquentia eloquence quam which Lucrētius Lucretius habuit had cum with vēritāte the truth quam which nōn he did not habuit have iungātur should be joined
7.3 Pulchritūdō the beauty verbōrum of words cum with pulchritūdine the beauty vēritātis of the truth —ēloquentia eloquence cum with sapientiā wisdom
7.4 Hoc this est is quod what Cicerō Cicero vester your in in Hortensiō the Hortensius dēsīderāvit longed for —ēloquentiam an eloquence quae which vēritātī to the truth serviret would serve nōn not quae one which vēritātem the truth ōrnāret would adorn quasi as if nūdam naked et and foedam ugly sed but quae one which vēritātī the truth lūcem light eius its propriam own redderet would restore
7.5 Nam for vēritās the truth nūda naked nōn not est is —suam her own habet she has pulchritūdinem beauty suam her own lūcem light suum her own splendōrem brilliance —sed but opus she has need est is eī of one quī who eam her nōn not vestiat would clothe sed but ostendat would show
7.6 Lucrētius Lucretius errōrem error vestīvit he clothed —nōs we vēritātem the truth ostendimus show
7.7 Nec nor is sapientia wisdom ūlla any sine without religiōne religion probanda to be approved nec nor religiō religion ūlla any sine without sapientiā wisdom suscipienda to be undertaken
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1.1 Fuit poēta apud Rōmānōs nōbilissimus quī dē nātūrā rērum scrīpsit versibus tam pulchrīs ut nūllus ante eum nec post eum pūlchrius dē mundō cecinerit.
1.2 Hic Lucrētius nōmine Epicūrī discipulus fuit, et docuit omnia quae vidēmus ex ātomīs ortā esse — nūllō artifice, nūllō cōnsiliō, nūllā prōvidentiā, sed cāsū et concursū fortuītō.
1.3 Docuit nūllōs deōs esse quī dē rēbus hūmānīs cūrent, nūllam mentem rēgere mundum, nūllum cōnsilium in rēbus creātīs inesse.
1.4 Mortem fīnem esse omnium dīxit, et animam cum corpore dissolvī sīcut fūmus in āera diffunditur.
2.1 Sed audīte quid idem poēta canit cum ipsam nātūram dēscrībit quam sine artifice ortam esse contendit.
2.2 Dē vēre canit et terrās flōribus indūtās dēscrībit, et caelum stellīs ōrnātum, et mare quod in sōlis ortū aurō splendeat.
2.3 Dē oculō hūmānō canit, quī tam mīrābilem habet strūctūram ut et lūcem recipiat et colōrēs discernat et formās rērum ā longē comprehendat.
2.4 Dē avibus canit quae per āera volant quāsī nātae sint ad volandum, et dē piscibus quī per aquam nant quāsī factī sint ad natandum.
2.5 Haec omnia tam pulchrē, tam ōrdināte, tam sapienter dēscrībit ut quī legit necessāriō intellegat haec ā sapientissimō artifice facta esse.
2.6 Et tamen ipse poēta quī haec tam sapienter dēscrībit negat ūllum esse artificem.
3.1 Ō mīram contrādictiōnem!
3.2 Versūs eius Deum praedicant quem lingua eius negat.
3.3 Nam cum dīcit “quāsī nātae sint ad volandum,” nōnne ipse fātētur vidērī cōnsilium esse in rēbus, etsī negat cōnsilium esse?
3.4 Cum scrībit “tam mīrābilem strūctūram,” nōnne cōnfitētur structōrem esse necesse est ubī strūctūra est?
3.5 Quis enim strūctūram sine structōre vīdit? Quis ōrdinem sine ōrdinātōre? Quis carmen sine poētā?
3.6 Ipse Lucrētius tot mīlia versuum nōn cāsū sed arte composuit — et tamen mundum quī illīs versibus plūs artis habet cāsū compositum esse contendit.
4.1 Et hīc vidēte aliud mīrābile.
4.2 Cūr Lucrētius versibus scrīpsit, nōn prōsā ōrātiōne?
4.3 Quia sēnsit — etsī nōn intellēxit — vēritātem ēloquentiā dīcī dēbēre, et pulchritūdinem rērum pulchritūdine verbōrum dēscrībī oportēre.
4.4 Rēctē sēnsit — nam sī rēs ā sapientissimō artifice factae sunt, sermō quoque quō dē illīs dīcitur sapientissimus esse dēbet.
4.5 Vēritās enim dēfēnsōrem dignum sē requīrit — nōn quī sermōne incultō et barbarō rēctam doctrinam dēformet, sed quī ēloquentiae splendōre et vēritātis lūce pariter instructus prōcēdat.
4.6 Lucrētius ēloquentiam habuit sed vēritātem nōn habuit — itaque ēloquentiā suā falsa pulchrē dīxit, quod est omnium perīculōsissimum.
5.1 Nec hoc Lucrētī vitium sōlius.
5.2 Nam Ennius vetus ille poēta Rōmānus Euhemerum in Latīnam linguam trānstulerat et docuerat deōs hominēs fuisse mortālēs quī post mortem dīvīnōs honōrēs accēperint.
5.3 Et tamen idem Ennius in Annālibus suīs deōs invocat et dīvīnam prōvidentiam laudat et Iovem patrem deōrum hominumque appellat.
5.4 Quōmodo hoc fierī potest, ut idem homō et neget deōs et invocet deōs?
5.5 Quia poēta cum canit vērius loquitur quam cum disputat — carmen enim ab animō venit, disputātiō ā scholā.
6.1 Quārē dīcō vōbīs — poētam vestrum Lucrētium nōlīte audīre cum disputat, sed audīte eum cum canit.
6.2 Cum disputat, dīcit nūllum esse artificem — cum canit, tōtum mundum tamquam opus artificis dēscrībit.
6.3 Cum disputat, dīcit ātomōs cāsū concurrere — cum canit, ōrdinem et pulchritūdinem et cōnsilium ubīque ostendit.
6.4 Cum disputat, Epicūrum sequitur — cum canit, vēritātem sequitur et nescit.
6.5 Ita fit ut optimus ēloquentiae adversārius sit optimus ēloquentiae testis — et quī Deum negat versibus Deum praedicet.
7.1 Quid ergō opus est?
7.2 Ut ēloquentia quam Lucrētius habuit cum vēritāte quam nōn habuit iungātur.
7.3 Pulchritūdō verbōrum cum pulchritūdine vēritātis — ēloquentia cum sapientiā.
7.4 Hoc est quod Cicerō vester in Hortensiō dēsīderāvit — ēloquentiam quae vēritātī serviret, nōn quae vēritātem ōrnāret quasi nūdam et foedam, sed quae vēritātī lūcem eius propriam redderet.
7.5 Nam vēritās nūda nōn est — suam habet pulchritūdinem, suam lūcem, suum splendōrem — sed opus est eī quī eam nōn vestiat sed ostendat.
7.6 Lucrētius errōrem vestīvit — nōs vēritātem ostendimus.
7.7 Nec sapientia ūlla sine religiōne probanda, nec religiō ūlla sine sapientiā suscipienda.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Lactantiō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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