AMONG THE GREEKS 91 



into the language of modern science, with the 

 motive of clearly stating a possible explanation 

 of the origin of the purposeful in order to clearly 

 refute it. 



Epicurus was influenced by Democritus and 

 his doctrine of atomism, excluding teleology at 

 every present point as well as at the beginning 

 of the world, supporting the mechanical concep- 

 tion of Nature, and maintaining that every in- 

 dividual thing is to be explained in a purely me- 

 chanical manner. Convinced that only natural 

 causes prevail, Epicurus did not concern him- 

 self with inquiries as to their character. He also 

 taught the origin of life by spontaneous genera- 

 tion, that living beings arose directly from the 

 earth, including many marvelous forms, and 

 adopted Empedocles' notion that only those ca- 

 pable of life and reproduction have been pre- 

 served. 



Lucretius (99-55 b. c.) 



From Epicurus we take a long leap in time to 

 T. Lucretius Carus, the Roman poet, whose in- 

 quiry into the origin and nature of living things, 

 as we have observed, revived the teachings of 

 Empedocles, of Democritus, and especially of 

 Epicurus. He connected with these many obser- 

 vations of his own. The fact that he was an orig- 



