Anti-Epicurean sentiments
in Aeneid Book 1

Scott A. Sobolewski (University at Buffalo, SUNY)

Hardie (1986, 201) briefly noted how the structure of the Aeneid parallels the opening of Book 2 of the Lucretius’ De Rerum Natura. A greater significance, however, should be attached to this resemblance. Vergil would have understood the programmatic importance of any Lucretian passage, especially one which details the ultimate goals of Epicurean philosophy. This paper will argue that an examination of thematic similarities and verbal echoes of Lucretius’ DRN reveals how Vergil exhibits strong Anti-Epicurean sentiments in the opening book of the Aeneid. Specifically, I intend to show that the Aeneid was written in reaction to the philosophical themes found in the proem of book 2 of the DRN. Vergil’s direct response to Lucretius shows the close literary influence that the DRN played on a seemingly un-Epicurean Aeneid.

Unlike the comprehensive views of Adler (2003), who argues for a wholesale, massive engagement of the Aeneid with Lucretius and Epicureanism, I do not believe that Vergil envisioned his entire poem as a response to Lucretius. Rather, Vergil situates these verbal echoes only at the beginning of the Aeneid. Vergil also disassociates any Epicurean connection from his main character by using Lucretius’ own words in rather un-Epicurean ways. In particular, book 1 of the Aeneid reacts to the three themes of Lucretius’ opening priamel in book 2 by expressing ideas that counter basic elements in Epicurean philosophy. Certain key words in the priamel of the DRN are found to have quite different connotations in the philosophical program of book 1 of the Aeneid. While this interaction highlights the differences between the cosmologies and epic goals of each author, it strengthens the case for the literary influence of Lucretius on Vergil. Such an analysis of the connections between these two texts may help to shed light on Vergil’s changing focus away from Epicureanism.