Lucretius Book 1 – Latin Core

Features of Lucretian language:

first declension genitive singular: puellai for puellae
passive infinitive: reg-ier for reg-i

Common constructions

new compound adjectives
neuter plural + genitive
wordplay: use of etymologically related words near each other
periphrasis: natura + genitive

Prayer to Venus (1-43)
genetrix	mother
Aeneadae	Aeneas and his descendants
voluptas	pleasure, delight, joy
almus	nourishing, fruitful
subter	below, beneath, underneath + acc
concelebro	fill, animate, enliven, cause to abound, fill with your presence
concipio	take in, foster, conceive
amantum	gen pl of participle: animantium – living things
exortus	rising up
nubila	clouds
adventus	coming, arrival
caelum	heaven
daedalus	wonder-working, varied, Daedalan
suavis	acc pl (sweet)
summitto	send up
niteo	shine, be bright
diffusus	spreading
species	look, appearance, sight, face
vernus	of spring
simul ac	as soon as
dies	-> season
patefactast	‘is revealed’
reseratus	unlocked, set free
genitabilis	productive, fruitful, generative
Favonius	the west wind
aerius	of the air, high, lofty
vigeo	thrive, flourish, be lively
initus	entrance, approach, arrival
perculsus	thrilled + corda, acc of respect
percello	urge on, excite, impel
significo	proclaim, make known
tua vi	‘by your might’
inde	next
fera	wild animal
trano	swim across
lepor	attractiveness, charm, delight, pleasure
laetus	-> rich, fruitful
quisque	each
pergo	press on, proceed, hasten
inducere pergis	= induces
frondifer	leaf-bearing
incutio	strike into, instill
blandus	pleasant, agreeable, charming
incutiens blandum amorem per pectora omnibus
efficio	accomplish, effect, achieve
generatim	‘after their kind’
saecla	races
propago	extend, enlarge, spread, propagate
cupide	eagerly
guberno	steer, govern
natura rerum	the nature of things
dius	bright, divine, shining
in dias oras luminis	‘into the bright coasts of light’
quicquam	anything (nominative)
socius	partner, companion, helper
studeo	be eager, desire. Wish
pango	make, compose, writes
ornatus	endowed + dat
quo magis	all the more
moenera	works
sopio	lull to sleep, calm, settle, make still
iuvo	delight, please, gratify
mortalis	acc pl
tranquilla pace	ablative
teres	rounded, smooth
cervix	neck
repono	place back
repostus	-> thrown back
suspicio	look upwards
inhio	gape at, gaze wistfully at
spiritus	breath
resupinus	lying on the back, thrown back
spiritus resupini [eius]	the breath of him lying backwards
loquella	speech, words, discourse
recubo	lie on back
circumfusus	bending around (him)
agere hoc	attend to my task
aequo animo	with untroubled mind
propago (f)	race, descendants, stock, offspring
deesse	be lacking, fail to support
omnis natura divom	the whole nature of the gods (subject)
fruor	enjoy, delight in (+ abl)
necessest=necesse est	it is necccesary that
semoveo	move apart, put aside, remove, separate
seiungo	disunite, part, divide
privatus	free from
polleo	be strong, flourish, thrive
indigus	needing, in want
promeritum	merit, service, sacrifice
Appeal to Memmius (50-61)
quod superest	for the rest
sagax	keen, acute, shrewd
adhibeo	apply, hold toward
auris	= ears
dispono	distribute, arrange, set out
studium	zeal, eagerness, exertion
intellego	understand, comprehend
relinquo	abandon, leave behind
priusquam	before
prius quam intellega sint	before they are understood
incipiam	future indicative of incipio
dissero	examine, argue, discuss, treat
summa ratione caeli	the working of the heavens on high
aucto	increase, enlarge
resolvo	release
peremptus	destroyed, extinguished
materies	matter
genitalis	fruitful, generative
sueo	be wont, accustomed
semen, seminis	seed
corpora [quae sunt] genitalia rebus (we would expect rerum)
rationem reddo	render an account
reddunda in ratione	“when giving an account”
usurpo	seize upon, use, name, call
ex illis… primis	from them as first beginnings
Eulogy of Epicurus (62-79)
humanus	human
cum humana vita - iaceret - in terris
foede	foully, cruelly, basely, horribly
opprimo	weigh down
ante oculos	so that all might see
religio	superstition
super…insto	standing over (+ dat/abl mortalibus)
homo ausus est tollere mortalis oculos contra
comprimo	check, suppress
fama	legend
caelum [cum] minitanti murmure
acer	sharp, keen, ardent, eager
artus	close, narrow, confining
pervinco	conquer completely
vividus	full of life, lively, vigourous
vivida vus animi	the lively force of his mind
extra	beyond
procedo	advance, proceed
longe	by far
peragro	wander through, travel, pass through
inmensum	boundless extent, vastness, immensity; ‘the measureless universe’
quid possit oriri	what is able to arise
finio	limit, bound
terminus	boundary stone (between one property and another)
quanam ratione	on what principle
alte haerens	deep-set
cuique	here: each type of thing
quare	therefore
vicissim	on the other hand, on the contrary, again, in turn
obtero	crush, trample on, ravage
nos	accusative (of exaequat)
exaequo	regard as equal, make equal
The fear of impiety (80-100)
vereor	respect, fear
reor	reckon, calculate
vereor – illud – in his rebus – ne rearis…
forte	by chance, perhaps
impia rationis elementa	= elementa- rationis impii (transferred epithet)
elementa	first priniciples
ratio	here = system of philosophy
indugredi	= ingredi
quod contra	but on the contrary
Aulide	at Aulis
quo pacto	in the way in which, even as, for instance, just as
foede	foully
delectus	chosen
simul	= simul ac
infula	band, bandage, fillet
comptus (-us)	head-dress, ornament for hair, tresses
mala	cheek
pari parte	in equal length
profusast	= profusa est
hunc propter	by his side
queo	be able
quod [ea] princeps donarat – regem – nomine patrio
tremebundus	...

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Lucretius Book 1 Notes

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Lucretius Book 1

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