The next three lines, with which the new section begins in Baily’s oxford edition, are in fact backward looking:
Inque dies magis hi victum vitamque
priorem
commutare novis monstrabant rebus et
igni
ingenio qui praestabant et corde
vigebant.
‘And day by day those who excelled in
understanding and were strong in mind showed them more and more how to change
their former life and livelihood for new habits and for fire.’
In the preceding
discussion of the beginning and the early developments of civilization
Lucretius emphasized that all members of the society were involved in the
making of those events, which was particularly strongly voiced when he spoke of
the beginning and the development of language. In these three lines he
qualified it.
What came next was a profound change
of direction:
condere coeperunt urbis arcemque
locare
praesidium reges ipsi sibi
perfugiumque,
‘Kings began to build cities and to
found a citadel, to be for themselves a stronghold and a refuge;’
et pecus atqu(e) agros diviser(e)
atque dedere
pro facie cuiusqu(e) et viribus
ingenioque;
‘and they parcelled out and gave
flocks and fields to each man for his beauty or his strength and
understanding;’
nam facies multum valuit viresque
vigebant.
‘for beauty was then of much avail,
and strength stood high.’
Then came another momentous
development:
posterius res inventast aurumque
repertum
‘Thereafter property was invented and
gold found,’
quod facil(e) et validis et pulchris
dempsit honorem;
‘which easily robbed the strong and
beautiful of honour;’
divitioris enim sectam plerumque
sequuntur
quamlibet et fortes et pulchro corpore
creti.
‘for, for the most part, however
strong men are born, however beautiful their body, they follow the lead of the
richer man.’
Lucretius can’t help remarking that
this was not a happy development:
quod siquis vera vitam ratione
gubernet,
divitiae grandes homini sunt vivere parce
aequ(o) animo; nequ(e) enim est
penuria parvi.
‘Yet if a
man would steer his life by true reasoning, it is great riches to a man to live
thriftily with calm mind; for never can he lack for a little.’
But men were
driven to vie for fame and power:
at claros
homines voluerunt se atque potentis,
‘But men
wished to be famous and powerful,’
ut
fundamento stabili fortuna maneret
‘that their
fortune might rest on a sure foundation,’
et placidam
possent opulenti degere vitam
‘and they
might in wealth lead a peaceful life;’
nequiquam, quoni(am)
ad summum succeeder(e) honorem
certantes
iter infestum fecere viai,
‘all in
vain, since struggling to rise to the heights of honour, they made the path of
their journey beset with danger,’
et tamen e
summo, quasi fulmen, deicit ictos
invidi(a)
interdum contempt(im) in Tartara taetra;
‘and yet
from the top, like lightening, envy smites them and casts them down anon in
scorn to a noisome Hell;’
invidia
quoniam, ceu fulmine, summa vaporant
plerumqu(e)
et quae sunt aliis magis edita cumque;
‘since by
envy, as by lightening, the topmost heights are most often set ablaze, and all
places that rise high above others;’
ut satius
multo iam sit parere quietum
quam
reger(e) imperio res vell(e) et regna tenere.
‘so that it
is far better to obey in peace than to long to rule the world with kingly power
and to sway kingdoms.’
proinde sin(e)
incassum defessi sanguine sudent,
angustum per
iter luctantes ambitionis;
‘Wherefore
let them sweat out their life-blood, worn away to no purpose, battling their
way along the narrow path of ambition;’
quandoquidem
sapiunt alien(o) ex ore petuntque
res ex
auditis potius quam sensibus ipsis,
nec magis id
nunc est nequ(e) erit mox quam fuit ante.
‘inasmuch as
their wisdom is but from the lips of others, and they seek things rather
through hearsay than from their own feelings, and that is of no more avail now
nor shall be hereafter than it was of old.’
(1105-1135)
Dramatic
developments followed; kings were killed, their glory destroyed.
Ergo regibus
occisis subversa iacebat
pristina
maiestas solior(um) et sceptra superba,
‘And so the
kings were put to death and the ancient majesty of thrones and proud sceptres
was overthrown and lay in ruins,’
et capitis
summi praeclar(um) insigne cruentum
sub pedibus
vulgi magnum lugebat honorem;
‘and the
glorious emblem of the head of kings was stained with blood, and beneath the
feet of the mob mourned the loss of its high honour;’
nam cupide
conculcatur nimis ante metutum.
‘for once
dreaded overmuch, eagerly now it is trampled.’
Anarchy with
its life of violence ensued, tired of which, men became ready to establish laws
and obey them:
res itaqu(e)
ad summam faecem turbasque redibat,
‘And so
things would pass to the utmost dregs of disorder,’
imperium
sibi c(um) ac summatum quisque petebat.
‘when every
man sought for himself the power and the headship.’
inde maistratum
partim docuere creare
‘Then some
of them taught men to appoint magistrates’
iuraque
constituere, ut vellent legibus uti.
‘and
establish laws that they might consent to obey ordinances.’
nam genus
humanum, defessum vi colere aevum
‘For the
race of men, worn out with leading a life of violence,’
ex
inimicitiis languebat; quo magis ipsum
sponte sua
cecidit sub leges artaque iura.
‘lay faint
from its feuds; wherefore the more easily of its own will it gave in to ordinances
and the close mesh of laws.’
acrius ex
ira quod enim se quisque parabat
ulcisci quam
nunc concessumst legibus aequis,
‘For since
each man set out to avenge himself more fiercely in his passion than is now
suffered by equal laws,’
hanc ob rem
est homines pertaesum vi coler(e) aevum.
‘for this
cause men were weary of leading a life of violence.’
inde metus
maculat poenarum praemia vitae.
‘Thence fear
of punishment taints the prizes of life.’
circumretit
enim vis atqu(e) iniuria quemque
atqu(e), und(e)
exortast, ad eum plerumque revertit,
‘For
violence and hurt tangle everyman in their toils, and for the most part fall on
the head of him, from whom they had their rise,’
nec facilest
placid(am) ac pacatam degere vitam
qui violat
factis communia foedera pacis.
‘nor is it
easy for one who by his act breaks the common pact of peace to lead a calm and
quiet life.’
etsi fallit
enim divum genus humanumque,
perpetuo
tamen id fore clam diffidere debet;
‘For though
he be unnoticed of the race of gods and men, yet he must needs mistrust that
his secret will be kept forever;’
quipp(e) ubi
se multi per somnia saepe loquentes
aut morbo
delirantes protraxe ferantur
et celata <di(u)> in medium peccata dedisse.
‘nay indeed, many by speaking in their
sleep or raving in fever have often, so ‘tis said, betrayed themselves, and
brought to light misdeeds long hidden.’
(1136-1160)
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