Posidonius and Lucretius on the Invention of Metallurgy

Индоевропейское языкознание и классическая филология. 2024. No. 28-1. P. 295–327.

Alexander Verlinsky

The article examines two passages from the discussions of Posidonius (Sen. Ep. 90. 11–13 = Posid. F 284 Edelstein-Kidd) and Lucretius (5. 1241–1268) about the origin of civilization, dedicated to the discovery of smelting metals. The remarkable similarity between them — in both, the discovery is associated with a forest fire, as a result of which melted ore came to the surface of the earth — has long caused scientific debate whether Posidonius served as the source of Lucretius, or whether both used some common source, regarded as either Democritus or Epicurus. The author of the article argues in favor of the latter option, developing the hypothesis that Epicurus’ theory about the emergence of civilization, set out in his work On Nature, which Lucretius closely follows, was also used, but in a critical vein, by Posidonius, who polemicized with Epicurean teaching.

Keywords: Posidonius, Lucretius, origin of metallurgy, Посидоний, Лукреций, возникновение металлургии