Reading the 'Implied Author' in the De rerum natura

Goldschmidt, N.

doi:10.1017/9781108379854.004

Reading the 'Implied Author' in the De rerum natura

Goldschmidt, N.

Authors

Professor Nora Goldschmidt nora.goldschmidt@durham.ac.uk
Professor

Contributors

D. O'Rourke
Editor

Abstract

Much has been written on the ‘implied reader’ in Lucretius’ DRN. From G. B. Conte’s textually constructed reader to recent work on Lucretian receptions, Lucretius’ readers or their textual condition have received substantial scholarly attention. What remains largely undiscussed – and what has left generation upon generation of the poem’s readers spellbound – is not so much other readers of the DRN, but the elusive ‘author’ himself. Jerome famously claimed that Lucretius wrote the DRN between intervals of insanity brought on by a love potion, and increasingly wild biographies of Lucretius crop up again and again in the reception traditions of the poem – from death-bed hallucinations brought on by his wicked wife to his beautiful but unresponsive male paramour. Taking some of these biographies as its point of inspiration, this chapter uses the concept of the ‘implied author’ to investigate what exactly it is about Lucretius’ text that inspired and inspires such imaginative, but arguably still textually grounded, portraits of its author.

Citation

Goldschmidt, N. (2020). Reading the 'Implied Author' in the De rerum natura. In D. O'Rourke (Ed.), Approaches to Lucretius (43-58). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108379854.004

Acceptance Date	Apr 20, 2017
Online Publication Date	Jun 1, 2020
Publication Date	2020-06
Deposit Date	Apr 20, 2017
Publicly Available Date	Sep 11, 2020
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Pages	43-58
Book Title	Approaches to Lucretius.
ISBN	9781108421966
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108379854.004

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This material has been published in Approaches to Lucretius by / edited by Donncha O'Rourke. This version is free to view and download for personal use only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Cambridge University Press.