UC Davis

This paper begins as a survey of Epicurean opinions about the purpose of poetry then moves into an examination of two key areas wherein Empedocles influence on Lucretius is quite palpable. The goal is to show that Lucretius did not follow strictly Epicurean doctrine in regards to his use of verse to explain Epicurean philosophy then to show how the influence of Empedocles offered him a model, albeit one outside his tradition, for his poetic task.