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How did Lucretius help spread Epicurean atomism in the Roman world?

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Bronze bust of Epicurus with a full beard and draped clothing, displayed on a round inscribed base at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. — Materialism Epicurus, bronze bust from a Greek original, c. 280–270 bce; in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.

Lucretius played a pivotal role in spreading Epicurean atomism in the Roman world through his didactic poem, De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things). By translating the abstract Greek prose of Epicurus into sophisticated Latin hexameters, Lucretius made complex physical theories accessible to a Roman audience at a time when the Latin language lacked a formal philosophical vocabulary.12

To achieve this, Lucretius employed several literary strategies:
* Linguistic Innovation: He adapted common Latin words for technical use—such as using primordia for "atoms"—and invented new terms when necessary.2
* Poetic Mastery: He utilized the stylistic traditions of earlier Latin poets, such as Quintus Ennius, incorporating alliteration, assonance, and archaic forms to create a compelling, authoritative work.12
* Philosophical Advocacy: Lucretius presented Epicurus as a "liberator" of humanity, using the poem to argue against religious fears and rival schools like the Stoics.123

His work provided an almost complete and precise exposition of Epicurean physics, helping to establish Epicureanism as a prominent philosophy in 1st-century BCE Rome.4