Space in Hellenistic Philosophy by Ranocchia Graziano; Helmig Christoph; Horn Christoph

Author:Ranocchia, Graziano; Helmig, Christoph; Horn, Christoph
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: De Gruyter, Inc.
Published: 2014-10-06T16:00:00+00:00

1.1 Space before Lucretius: revolution or continuity?

I shall take as my point of departure the assumption that spatium carries the notion of a – determinate or indeterminate – quantum, which can only be applied to space and/or time. Of course, for us, the concept of ‘space-time’ is one of the most evident, but it cannot be asserted without verification that it was always so in the Latin language. This quantum is often perceived as the receptacle of virtual actions, so that to have spatium can mean to have the ability to do something.

When Lucretius complains about the egestas patrii sermonis,285 does it mean that before him there was no general use, no theorisation of the concept of space in Latin thought and literature? In fact, in the Latin literature of the second century BC we find a significant number of references to spatium which deserve to be commented upon.

Before Lucretius, the word occurs mainly in two kinds of texts.

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