2 Lucretius on the origin and evolution of species

First, the earth brought forth vegetable life:

Principio genus herbarum viridemque nitorem

terra dedit circum collis camposque per omnis,

‘‘First of all the earth gave birth to the tribes of herbage and bright verdure all around the hills and all over the plains,’

florida fulserunt viridanti prata colore,

‘the flowering fields gleamed in their green hue,’

arboribusque datumst variis exinde per auras

crescendi magn(um) immissis certamen habenis.

‘and thereafter the diverse trees were started with loose rein on their great race of growing through the air.’

ut plum(a) atque pili primum saetaeque creantur

‘Even as down and hair and bristles are first formed’

quadrupedum membris et corpore pennipotentum,

‘on the limbs of four-footed beasts and the body of fowls strong of wing’

sic nova tum tellus herbas virgultaque primum

sustulit, inde loci mortalia saecla creavit

multa modis multis varia ratione coorta.

‘so then the newborn earth raised up herbage and shrubs first, and thereafter produced the races of mortal things, many races born in many ways by diverse means.’

nam neque de caelo cecidiss(e) animalia possunt

nec terrestria de salsis exisse lacunis

‘For neither can living animals have fallen from the sky nor the beasts of earth have issued forth from the salt pools.’

linquitur ut merito maternum nomen adepta

terra sit, e terra quoniam sunt cuncta creata.

‘It remains that rightly has the earth won the name of the mother, since out of earth all things are produced.’

 

Lucretius supports his narrative with reference to the wildly accepted belief in ‘spontaneous generation’.

multaque nunc etiam exsistunt animalia terris

‘And even now many animals spring forth from the earth’

imbribus et calido solis concreta vapore;

‘formed by the rains and the warm heat of the sun;’

quo minus est mirum si tunc sunt plura coorta

et maiora, nova tellur(e) atqu(e) aether(e) adulta.

‘wherefore we may wonder the less, if then more animals and greater were born, reaching their full growth when earth and air were fresh.’

Lucretius says, if I understand him correctly, that in those days, when the earth and air were still young, some greater animals were generated (coorta) in the state of adulthood (adulta).

 

First came the birds, springing from eggs:

Principio genus alituum variaeque volucres

ova relinquebant exclusae tempore verno,

‘First of all the tribe of winged fowls and the diverse birds left their eggs, hatched out in the spring season,’

folliculos ut nunc teretes aestate cicadae

linquunt sponte sua victum vitamque petentes

‘as now in the summer the cicadas of their own will leave their smooth shells, seeking livelihood and life.’ [Like the cicadas ‘in our time’ (ut nunc) leave their smooth shells in adulthood, so did the birds, in the early days of the earth, leave their eggs in the state of adulthood.]

 

Then came the mammals:

tum tibi terra dedit primum mortalia saecla.

‘Then it was that the earth first gave birth to the race of mortal things.’

multus enim calor atqu(e) umor superabat in arvis.

‘For much heat and moisture abounded then in the fields.’

hoc ubi quaeque loci regi(o) opportuna dabatur,

‘thereby, wherever a suitable spot or place was afforded,’

crescebant uteri terram radicibus apti;

‘there grew up wombs, clinging to the earth by their roots;’

quos ubi tempore maturo patefecerat aetas

infantum fugiens umor(em) aurasque petessens,

‘and when in the fullness of time the age of the little ones, fleeing moisture and eager for air, had opened them,’

convertebat ibi natura foramina terrae

‘nature would turn to that place the pores in the earth’

et sucum venis cogebat funder(e) apertis

‘and constrain them to give forth from their opened veins a sap,

consimilem lactis, sicut nunc femina quaque

‘most like the milk; even as now every woman’

cum peperit, dulci repletur lacte, quod omnis

impetus in mammas convertitur ill(e) alimenti.

‘when she has brought forth, is filled with sweet milk, because all the current of her nourishment is turned towards her paps.’

terra cibum pueris, vestem vapor, herba cubile

praebebat mult(a) et molli lanugin(e) abundans.

‘The earth furnished food for the young, the warmth raiment, the grass a couch rich in much soft down.’

at novitas mundi nec frigora dura ciebat

‘But the youth of the world called not into being hard frosts’

nec nimios aestus nec magnis viribus auras.

‘nor exceeding heat nor winds of mighty violence:’

omni(a) enim pariter crescunt et robora sumunt.

‘for all things grow and come to their strength in like degrees.’

 

The earth therefore fully deserves to be called mother:

Quar(e) eti(am) atqu(e) etiam maternum nomen adepta

terra tenet merito, quoniam genus ipsa creavit

human(um) atqu(e) animal prope certo tempore fudit

omne quod in magnis bacchatur montibu’ passim,

‘Wherefore, again and again, rightly has the earth won, rightly does she keep the name of mother, since she herself formed the race of men, and almost at a fixed time brought forth every animal which ranges madly everywhere on the mighty mountains,

aeriasque simul volucris variantibu’ formis.

‘and with them the fowls of the air with their diverse forms.’

 

But in time the earth ceased to bear:

sed quia fin(em) aliquam pariendi debet habere,

‘But because she must needs come to some end of child-bearing,’

destitit, ut mulier spatio defessa vetusto.

‘she ceased, like a woman worn with the lapse of age.’

 

The earth’s child-baring came to an end because the universe constantly changes:

mutat enim mundi naturam totius aetas

‘For time changes the nature of the whole world,’

ex alioqu(e) alius status exciper(e) omnia debet

‘and one state after another must needs overtake all things,’

nec manet ulla sui similis res: omnia migrant

‘nor does anything abide like itself: all things change their abode,’

omnia commutat natura et vertere cogit.

‘nature alters all things and constrains them to turn.’

namqu(e) aliud putrescit et aevo debile languet,

‘For one thing rots away and grows faint and feeble with age,’

porr(o) aliud succrescit et <e> contemptibus exit

‘thereon another grows up and issues from its place of scorn.’

sic igitur mundi naturam totius aetas

mutat et ex alio terram status excipit alter,

‘So then time changes the nature of the whole world, and one state after another overtakes the earth,’

quod tulit ut nequeat, possit quod non tulit ante.

‘so that it cannot bear what it did, but can bear what it did not of old.’

(V. 783-836)

 

Nature first created many deformities, which could not survive, unable to feed themselves and incapable of propagating their kind (837-848). Many things must concur so that the living things can find sustenance and be able to propagate their races:

multa videmus enim rebus concurrere debere,

‘For we see that many happenings must be united for things,’

ut propaganda possint procudere saecla;

‘that they may be able to beget and propagate their races;’

pabula prim(um) ut sint, genitalia deinde per artus

semina quae possint membris manare remissis;

‘first that they may have food, and then a way whereby birth-giving seeds may pass through their frames, and issue from their slackened limbs.’

Feminaqu(e) ut maribus coniungi possit, habere

mutua qui mutent inter se gaudi(a) uterque.

‘and that woman may be joined with man, they must needs each have means whereby they can interchange mutual joys.’ (849-854)

 

Only those that fitted survived:

Multaque t(um) interiiss(e) animantum saecla necessest

‘And it must needs be that many races of living things then perished’

nec potuisse propagando procudere prolem.

‘and could not beget and propagate their offspring.’

nam quaecumque vides vesci vitalibus auris

‘For whatever animals you see feeding on the breath of life,’

aut dolus aut virtus aut denique mobilitas est

ex ineunt(e) aevo genus id tutata reservans.

‘either their craft or bravery, aye or their swiftness has protected and preserved their kind from the beginning of their being.’

multaque sunt, nobis ex utilitate sua quae

commendata manent, tutelae tradita nostrae.

‘And many there are, which by their usefulness are commended to us, and so abide, trusted to our tutelage.’

proncipio genus acre leonum saevaque saecla

tutatast virtus, vulpis dolus et fuga cervos.

‘First of all the fierce race of lions, that savage stock, their bravery has protected, foxes their cunning, and deer their fleet foot.’

at levisomna canum fido cum pectore corda

‘But the lightly-sleeping minds of dogs with their loyal heart,’

et genus omne quod est veterino semine partum

‘and all the race which is born of the seed of beasts of burden,’

lanigeraeque simul pecudes et bucera saecla

‘and withal the fleecy flocks and the horned herds,’

omnia sunt hominum tutelae tradita, Memmi.

‘are all trusted to the tutelage of men, Memmius.’ [Gaius Memmius was a nobleman to whom Lucretius dedicated his poem.]

nam cupide fugere feras pacemque secuta

sunt et larga suo sine pabula parta labore,

‘For eagerly did they flee the wild beasts and ensue peace and bounteous fodder gained without toil of theirs,’

quae damus utilitatis eorum praemia causa.

‘which we grant them as a reward because of their usefulness.’

at quis nil horum tribuit natura, nec ipsa

sponte sua possent ut vivere nec dare nobis

utilitat(em) aliquam quare pateremur eorum

praesidio nostro pasci genus esseque tutum,

‘But those to whom nature granted none of these things, neither that they might live on by themselves of their own might, nor do us any useful service, for which we might suffer their kind to feed and be kept safe under our defence,’

scilicet haec aliis praedae lucroque iacebant

‘you may know that these fell a pray and spoil to others’

indupedita suis fatalibus omnia vinclis,

‘all entangled in the fateful trammels of their own being,’

donec ad interitum genus id natura redegit.

‘until nature brought their kind to destruction.’

(V. 855-877, translation Cyril Bailey)