Lucretius

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lucretius

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Lucretius born?Circa 99 BC
2. When did Lucretius die?October 15, 55 BC
3. What is Lucretius known for?The philosophical didactic poem 'De rerum natura' (On the Nature of Things)
4. What is the key philosophical school?Epicureanism
5. What is the central scientific concept?Atomic theory, positing that all reality is composed of atoms and void
6. Who was Lucretius?Lucretius was a Roman poet and philosopher who lived a long time ago, around 99 to 55 BC, in the late Roman Republic.

Didactic Poem: A poem whose primary purpose is to instruct or teach a lesson, often philosophical or moral.
Epicureanism: A Hellenistic philosophy advocating for a tranquil life, achieved through understanding the natural world and moderating desires.
Atomism: The philosophical theory that all matter is composed of fundamental, indivisible particles called atoms.