Philosophiam Latinis litteris illustrare: the discussion about the treatment of philosophy in Latin in the works of Lucretius and Cicero

Abstract

Considering the reception of Greek philosophy in Rome, in the 1st century BC., two authors stand out: Lucretius and Cicero. Believing that the study of common themes that occur in the texts of these authors can contribute to a deeper understanding of the reception of philosophy in this particular historical context, in which both seem concerned with finding a place for philosophy in Roman culture, we investigate how they address the issue of the use of Latin in the treatment of philosophy. On the one hand, we study the theme of the egestas of the Latin language in Lucretius, trying to show how the poet uses it in favor of constructing the figure of the magister as someone strongly committed to communicating the doctrine he expounds. We address, on the other hand, the defense of the richness of Latin in Cicero (a frequent cause in his works, which the author claims to defend against the opinion of many), highlighting the author's reflections regarding translation, related, as they are, to the educational project that he embraces.