lucretius on the nature of things book 3

The atoms of the soul are “super-subtle” the tiniest particles.The soul is one with the body & shares its feeling & it moves the body’s muscles & bones at its whim.The mind & spirit are corporeal because they can cause the body to move & guide it – how is that not corporeal?.When the mind is pre-occupied with fear, the spirit throughout the body is affect negatively – your spirit sweats, shakes, etc.The mind thinks for itself & does its thing even when we’re in pain.The spirit is spread throughout the body & obeys the mind’s will.The soul is the captain & lord of the body – found in the chest.The spirit & the soul are tied together.“Anima” – life spirit is a body part that only dies off when the body dies off – breath atoms are tied to soul atoms.The Greeks called the soul a life-giving state of harmony but pain & feeling may vary in location, it isn’t universal.Our minds & souls govern our lives but are nothing more than a body part like eyes, feet & hands.People shouldn’t focus on fear, money, fame, wealth & power, & focus on building their souls, as well as friendships.Our philosophy relieves men of the fear of death because we emphasize the gods of the dead don’t exist.It’s so sad to see so many people worrying their entire lives about death.He enjoys reading & re-reading all Epicurus’s work because he understands the world through it & sees the truth in it.

He feels the desire to imitate Epicurus’s work & help spread his word around the world.

Lucretius is following in Epicurus’s footsteps even many years later, in another country, in another language.

Lucretius on the nature of things book 3