These extracts illustrate two of the ways in which, according to Lucretius and his fellow Epicureans, we can free ourselves from fears that torment humanity and destroy peace of mind. In the first he explains that the Gods are too remote from the human plane to be either pleased or angry with us. In the second, he points out the error made by people who mourn extravagantly for the dead, as the soul as well as the body is mortal, so that after death we are absolutely and permanently beyond disturbance and pain. In a way the message is “carpe diem”, but do so through moderation and objective knowledge, rather than through garlands and wine-cups.
You can see the illustrated blog post here, and more about Lucretius on his poet page here.
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