Lucilius: On the Smallness of Things (From Greek)


Atomic Theory: On The Smallness of Things
By Lucilius
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

Thus spake Epicurus: "all things in the cosmos are made of atoms"    
 Thinking the atom the smallest thing of all.
Had he known Diophantus, he'd have said "
made of Diophantus",    
 (The subatomic smallest of the small),    
 Or just "most things are made of atoms", and grant us     
That "the atom itself is made of Diophantus."

The Original:

ἐξ ἀτόμων Ἐπίκουρος ὅλον τὸν κόσμον ἔγραψεν
εἶναι, τοῦτο δοκῶν, Ἄλκιμε, λεπτότατον.
εἰ δὲ τότ᾽ ἦν Διόφαντος, ἔγραψεν ἂν ἐκ Διοφάντου,
τοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀτόμων πουλύ τι λεπτοτέρου,
ἢ τὰ μὲν ἄλλ᾽ ἔγραψε συνεστάναι ἐξ ἀτόμων ἄν,
ἐκ τούτου δ᾽ αὐτάς, Ἄλκιμε, τὰς ἀτόμους.

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