The Swerve (46 page)

confession, 65, 143, 173, 255

Constance, 15, 19–20, 31, 35–36, 102, 162–78, 180, 206, 294
n

Constantine I, Emperor of Rome, 89, 102, 149–50, 224

Constantinople, 113, 169, 216

convents, 106, 108

Copernicus, Nicolaus, 10, 238, 254

Coptics, 24–25

copyists (
librari
), 85–86

copyright, 85

corporale supplicium
(bodily punishments), 106

corporal punishment, 104–6

Correr, Angelo, 160, 180, 205

Cossa, Baldassare,
see
John XXIII (Baldassare Cossa), Antipope

Cotta, Gaius Aurelius, 69–70

Council of Constance (1414–18), 15, 19–20, 31, 35–36, 102, 162–78, 180, 206, 294
n

Council of Trent (1545–63), 252, 253, 255

Counter-Reformation, 237–38, 253

courtiers, 8, 14, 15

Creech, Thomas, 257, 267
n

crime, 38, 104, 140, 228

crucifixions, 104, 112, 194, 241

cruelty, 194, 195, 198, 246, 298
n

cult objects, 90–91, 92

cults, 89–90

Cupid, 267
n

cyclical patterns, 10

Cyril, Saint, 91, 92–93

 

Damian, Peter, 107

Danae, 175

Dante Alighieri, 123, 132–33, 288
n

Darwin, Charles, 262

Darwin, Erasmus, 262

David, King, 43

day laborers (
populo minuto
), 114–15

Day of Judgment, 100

De aquaeductu urbis
(Frontius), 152

death, fear of, 2–5, 9, 75–76, 112, 152, 180, 192–94, 196, 199, 220, 248

death sentences, 104, 158, 164, 172–73, 177–79, 213, 219, 228, 240–41, 255, 286
n
, 296
n
, 297
n

debate, 27–28

Decembrio, Pier Candido, 226

Declaration of Independence, 263

declinatio
(swerve) principle, 7–13, 188–89, 297
n

della Robbia, Luca, 218

delusion, 195–97

Democritus, 74–75, 82

demons, 8, 10, 26, 89, 105, 194–95

De rerum natura
(Lucretius), 182–202, 219–41

adaptation principle in, 189–90

afterlife denied in, 171, 183, 192–94, 195, 196–97, 220, 223, 230–32, 244, 260

Aldine edition of, 226

atheism in, 183–84, 221, 239, 259, 261

atomist theory in, 5–6, 8, 46, 73–75, 82, 99, 101, 185–89, 198–201, 220–21, 237, 239, 242–43, 244, 249, 250–53, 254, 255–56, 258, 260, 261, 297
n
, 306
n

author’s reading of, 1–13

beauty in, 1–2, 8–10, 11, 201–2, 228, 251, 260–61, 299
n

books and sections of, 65

Catholic doctrine opposed to, 7, 97–109, 182–84, 219–41, 249–62, 284
n
, 285
n
, 302
n

change and transition in, 5–7, 10, 186–87, 243–45, 259–60, 263

Cicero’s revision of, 53

classical references to, 49–52

commentaries on, 221–41

creation vs. destruction in, 186–89, 220, 249, 250–52, 261

cultural influence of, 11–13, 49–52, 182–83, 185, 204–5, 209–10, 218, 219–63, 302
n

cyclical patterns in, 10

dedication written for, 53

delusion in, 195–97

description of, 182–202

desire in, 197–98

detachment in, 195–97

disappearance of, 12–13, 49–52, 88–89, 209–10, 272
n

divine will in, 71, 74, 75, 102–3, 105, 187, 194–95, 220, 230–36, 249, 251, 285
n

emendations of, 226

English translations of, 184, 198, 201, 257–62, 267
n
, 297
n
–98
n
, 299
n
, 305
n

Epicurean philosophy of, 1–5, 58–59, 72–80, 88–89, 103, 104, 109, 182–202, 220–21, 222, 228–32, 244–46, 252–54, 256, 262–63, 303
n

eroticism in, 197–98, 201–2

ethics and morality in, 195–96

fear of death in, 2–5, 9, 192–94, 196, 199, 220, 248

free will in, 71, 74–75, 189

French translations of, 243–44, 247, 257, 262

gods and goddesses in, 1–2, 10, 183, 184, 193–94, 195, 197, 198, 199, 201–2, 228, 231–32, 251, 260–61, 298
n
, 299
n

as grammatical source, 12

happiness in, 195–97, 199

Herculaneum fragments of, 54–59, 64–65, 70–72, 81

hexameters of, 2, 182

historical influence of, 11–13

human existence in, 190–92

hymn to Venus in, 1–2, 10, 201–2, 228, 251, 260–61, 299
n

illusion in, 198–99

imagination in, 196–97

infinity in, 186, 187, 189, 196–97, 237, 239, 244, 256

“intelligent design” discredited by, 187–88, 220, 297
n

Italian translation of, 257, 262

language of, 2–3

Latin language of, 2–3, 12, 50, 182, 202, 225, 243, 247, 256

Machiavelli’s copy of, 221

manuscripts of, 11–13, 49–50, 88–89, 181, 182–85, 202, 203–5, 208–10, 218, 221–22, 225, 226, 231, 244, 256, 262, 272
n
, 300
n

materialism in, 9–10, 184–86, 190–91, 193, 198–201, 243, 244, 249, 259–63, 297
n

metaphors in, 201

in Middle Ages, 52–53, 88–89, 209–10, 272
n

modern influence of, 6–7, 8, 13, 185, 242–63

Montaigne’s copy of, 248–49, 256, 306
n

mythology in, 193–95

natural world in, 6, 10–11, 188–90, 262, 298
n

Niccoli’s transcription of, 203–4

“Oblongus” manuscript of, 204

paradise in, 191–92, 193

pleasure principle in, 8–10, 11, 75–80, 82, 102, 103–9, 195–98, 222–26, 228, 231

as poetry, 2–3, 50, 54, 80, 198, 200, 201–2, 221, 247, 259–60

Poggio’s copy of, 49–50, 203–5, 208–10, 225, 300
n

Poggio’s discovery of, 11–13, 22, 23–24, 49–50, 62, 65, 88–89, 93, 109, 181, 182–85, 202, 203–5, 218, 221–22, 225, 226, 231, 244, 256, 262

printed editions of, 204, 219, 248–50, 256, 262

Providence in, 187, 230–36, 251

“Quadratus” manuscript of, 204

readership of, 65–67, 70–72, 182, 209–10, 219–63

readings of, 71–72, 226

reason in, 199

religious superstitions opposed by, 2, 6, 10–11, 18–19, 36, 72, 74–75, 183, 184, 193–97, 199, 249, 299
n

Renaissance influenced by, 7–13

reputation of, 6–7, 8, 13, 51–52, 109, 185, 242–63

resurrection denied by, 171, 231–32

sexuality in, 103, 197–98, 201–2, 222, 247

soul in, 192–93, 196–97, 220, 231–32, 249, 251

space and time in, 186–89, 196–97, 237, 239, 244, 256

style of, 2–3, 7, 51

suffering in, 183, 195–98

swerve (
clinamen
) principle in, 7–13, 188–89, 297
n

syntax of, 182

title of, 46, 49, 181

translations of, 1–3, 184, 198, 201, 243–44, 247, 257–62, 267
n
, 297
n
–98
n
, 299
n
–300
n
, 305
n

universe as conceived in, 7–8, 73–74, 87, 186, 187, 189, 194, 220, 237, 238–39, 250–52, 306
n

void in, 187, 198–99

De rerum naturis
(Maurus), 49

De runalibus
(Serenus), 272
n

Descartes, René, 68, 239

desire, 197–98

detachment, 195–97

Deuteronomy, Book of, 285
n

dialogical disavowal, 222–23, 302
n
–3
n

Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
(Galileo), 255

dialogues, 69–72, 138–39, 147–49, 216–17, 222–26, 255, 302
n
–3
n

Diana, 99

Diderot, Denis, 262

Didymus of Alexandria, 81–82

Diogenes Laertius, 82, 278
n

diplomacy, 122–26, 155, 214

disciplina
(whipping), 106

disillusion, 198–99

dispensations, 21, 136–37

divine will, 71, 74, 75, 102–3, 105, 187, 194–95, 220, 230–36, 249, 251, 285
n

divinity, 98–99, 183

documents, official, 56–57

Dominic, Saint, 108

Dominicans, 111, 168, 219, 240

Domitian, Emperor of Rome, 48, 275
n

Donatello, 211, 218

“Donation of Constantine,” 149–50, 224

Donne, John, 143

dowries, 301
n

drama, 77–78, 81, 94, 95, 104, 242–43

Dryden, John, 198, 201, 262, 267
n
, 297
n
–98
n
, 299
n

Duccio, 10

Dungal, 12

Duomo (Florence), 110, 113, 180, 217–18

 

Eastern Orthodox Church, 136

edicts, religious, 89–90

education, 24, 28, 59, 71, 91, 97, 104, 112–13, 121–22, 138–41, 151, 211, 214, 226

Egypt, 24–25, 42, 56–57, 61, 66, 84–94, 279
n
–80
n

Einstein, Albert, 262

elections, papal, 205–6, 293
n

Elijah, 90

Elsbeth of Oye, 108

emendations, textual, 226

empiricism, 73, 262–63

England, 163, 164, 205, 206–8, 227–40, 242–43, 257–62

English language, 184, 198, 201, 206, 257–62, 267
n
, 297
n
–98
n
, 299
n
, 305
n

Enlightenment, 262

Ennius, 273
n

Ephesus, 99

epic poetry, 48–49, 182, 243, 273
n

Epicurean, The
(Erasmus), 227

Epicureanism, 1–5, 7, 58–59, 69–80, 82, 88–89, 97–109, 182–202, 219–41, 244–46, 249–63, 277
n
, 284
n
, 285
n
, 302
n
–3
n

Epicure Mammon, Sir, 77–78

Epicurus, 2, 62, 72–80, 101–2, 109, 222, 274
n
, 277
n
–78
n

Erasmus, 144, 227, 252

Eratosthenes, 59, 87

Ernst, Max, 1

eroticism, 197–98, 201–2

Essays
(Montaigne), 243–49

Eton College, 248–49

Eucharist, 165, 252–53, 255–56

Euclid, 87

Eugenius IV, Pope, 211–12, 214, 290
n

Euripides, 81, 280
n

European Community, 205

Eve, 105

Evelyn, John, 257, 267
n

excommunication, 160, 166

executions, 104, 112, 158, 164, 172–73, 177–79, 213, 219, 228, 240–41, 255, 286
n
, 296
n
, 297
n

Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast, The
(Bruno), 233–36

 

Facetiae
(Poggio), 142–45, 146, 291
n
–92
n

Falstaff, Epicurus and, 102

families, 110, 112, 113–15, 127–29, 135, 137, 206, 210, 212–14

Fates, 195

Feast in the House of Levi, The
(Veronese), 305
n

Ferreol, Saint, 38

Festus, Sextus Pompeius, 35

feudalism, 301
n

Ficino, Marsilio, 221, 224

Filelfo, Francesco, 143, 145

Fillastre, Guillaume, 295
n

fire, 41, 73, 83, 93, 191

Flaccus, Valerius, 272
n
, 300
n

flagellation, 28, 104, 106–9, 228, 285
n
–86
n

Flaubert, Gustave, 71

Florence, 10, 20–21, 22, 34, 49, 110, 113–34, 153, 162, 176, 179–80, 203, 210–18, 215–21, 226, 289
n