This is a new verse translation of Lucretius's only known work, a didactic poem written in six books of hexameters. Melville's particularly literal translation of the use of metaphor is especially helpful to those looking at the text from a scientific or philosophical point of view. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. Titus Lucretius Carus (ca. 94 BC- ca. 49 BC) was a Roman poet and philosopher. His only work that we know of is the philosophical long poem De Rerum Natura, On the Nature of Things. Don Fowler is at Jesus College, Oxford. Peta Fowler is at St Anne's College, Oxford.