Greenblatt cites the recovery of Lucretius with beginning of the Renaissance. How does Greenblatts text and evidence work to prove this, and how is he successful in the endeavor and Did Lucretius really cause Machiavelli, Thomas more and other people to start acting/thinking “modern”?
Titus Lucretius Carus was a Philosopher and a Roman poet during the c.a 99 BC – ca 55 BC. In the epic philosophical poem thus De rerum natura
Recovery of Lucretius with beginning of the Renaissance
The whole story about the recovery of Lucretius with the beginning of Renaissance started in the fifteenth century after the recovery of Lucretius who was a philosophical epic. The Greenblatt’s volume focuses on Lucretius recovery. Generally, the Renaissance paved the way for Modernity and universal enlightenment. After the recovery of Lucretius, there are various significances, which are associated with his resurfacing (Brown, 39). Also important are Lucretius Epicurean verses. During the fifteenth century, after the Carolingian renaissance, Lucretius went underground for almost five hundred years. This was before being Poggio Bracciolini unearthing in the year 1417. Poggio then gave the recovered manuscript to Niccolo who was his friend (Brown, 65)
How Renaissance Began
Renaissance began back eight hundred years ago after the fall of Roman Empire. After the pagan antiquity, there was religion, God’s shift, and the angels in the world. There was the realization where human beings were equal and created from the same stuff. Human being also realized that they could question and challenge authorities depending on the doctrines they received. The sun was discovered to be the only star in the infinite universe. They had the liberty to contemplate. Other common knowing associated with this period was that, human death was of the soul. For human to find the mortal, the universe was not enough. The procreator of all these was Lucretius. This was evident by his On the Nature of things poem while the midwife to modernity was Poggio Bracciolini who was an Italian scholar. Poggio Bracciolini managed to rescue the 1417 text from the monastery after several years of oblivion (Brown, 85).
The context can be misleading to some levels according to Greenblatt in that Renaissance was already underway with the Petrarch even before Lucretius recovery hence; the Renaissance roots can be tracked back to North Italians writers during the 1200s. Lucretius was influential on modernism during the 15th century. In addition, by that time, only 53 manuscripts and a few editions were printed. Renaissance was not a harbinger of decline. It also did not threaten Christianity aspects. Educators and protestants such as Calvin and Luther embraced it. Counter Reformation Theologians also embraced the aspect of Renaissance. There are a few details on the real Lucretius influence regarding philosophies on Renaissance intellectuals. Machiavelli also played an important role on the Lucretius transcriptions during 1490. Although in the context, little has been said about him (Greenblatt, 37).
Lucretius role on modernism
Lucretius significance on modernism is evident on the Lucretius ethical teachings and agenda. Whereby, the teachings advocate for fearless nature when it comes to death. In short, he is against human being anxiety nature about pain, which they might suffer during imaginary infernal afterlife.
Lucretius played a crucial role in influencing Thomas, Machiaveli and various people on their views regarding modernism. He viewed modernism as a nature of things. His poem had a great impact on the reinvention of science during the seventeenth century. For two centuries, Lucretius really struggled to shake of ‘atheistic’ which was a pejorative label, which was labeled against him. He went on to become an important figure regarding the emergence of modernism and modern atomism during the 17th century (Brown,95).
Various people were influenced by Lucretius to start thinking about modernism. Some of the people Lucretius influenced included, Machieavelli, Thomas and various people. Some were ordinary people while some were writers. Lucretius also influenced the French. Here, Lucretius had great role on French Enlightenment, which was pervasive and powerful. The French Enlightenment further became major battlefield during the regional wars with science during the nineteenth-century in England. During the twentieth century, despite the French Enlightenment major contributions to modernism and civilization, they were largely neglected by scientists and common readers (Brown, 103). Lucretius books had extensive poem description, with particular emphasis on materialism version and attempts to invent ethical systems, which suits such universe. Lucretius was a man of modern mystery. This was evident in his book regarding his role in influencing modernism thinking among various people. The way Greenblatt describes it, Lucretius thus borrowing from Democritus among others; he states that the universe has infinite numbers of atoms. Lucretius states that with the universe moving randomly into the space, the same way the dust motes through a sunbeam, there is the creation and destruction aspect in all this. Lucretius literature managed to survive various challenges and with its survival, it played an important aspect in modernisms. Looting, burning and the fall of Rome were some of the major challenges Lucretius books survived. His literature on the Nature of Things went on to become the most talked and radical essays regarding the post-Renaissance, which was Machiavelli, Sir Thomas Jefferson, Sir Thomas and Montaigne’s favorite. (Greenblatt, 67)
Lucretius literature had great influence on people’s lives. It did not only influence people in terms of modernism but it played key roles on how people viewed life as a whole. Early Roman Empire writes greatly imitated Lucretius pieces of work. The Lucretius poems later on became the basis of Renaissance editions. This was after its subsequent survival in the two-century manuscripts thus the O and the Q upon the recovery of the Poggio Bracciolini in 1417. Through Lucretius who along with various Latin translations of Diogenes thus Life of Epicurus, that the Epicurean thoughts were entered the ethical debates. Lucretius literature had extensive impact and philosophical circles. Because of his modernism role and mysteries, Montaigne cited him. (Greenblatt, 97)
Lucretius was an Epicurean philosopher during in the Roman Empire regime. Generally, he taught about life teachings. He views about the human soul was that, a human soul could not survive death. He also stated that living things were created from little particles. Epicureans advocated human beings to leave a good life and not the hedonistic life, which many supposed. He states that human beings should not worry about God’s wrath. He also claims that God was usually un concerned about human beings doing insignificant things in life. To the modern world, this message has modern ring upon the human being. This is because Lucretius writings helped in shaping Renaissance and Scientific revolution. Lucretius ideas received negative responses in the Christian hierarchy (Greenblatt, 106). There were various challenges to those who followed Lucretius ideas. Some of the challenges in this aspect were execution and persecution. Generally, Lucretius is successful in his endeavors and his role in influencing modernism thinking to his followers.
Work Cited
Greenblatt, Stephen. Swerve: How the World Became Modern. New York: W W Norton, 2012. Print.
Brown, Alison. The Return of Lucretius to Renaissance Florence. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2010. Print.
