Montagne di nuvole: su un’immagine lucreziana

This paper aims to shed new light on the important role played by vision in the Dererum natura, by examining Lucretius’ use of metaphorical references to mountains in hisexplanation of the celestial meteora in book 6. This imagery firstly occurs at 6,156–159 whereLucretius employs the metaphor montes nimborum: this first image provides a starting point forthe development of a remarkable cluster of metaphors and similes, which expands the mountainimagery and links it with other metaphorical references (wild beasts, metallurgy). Interestingly,these images seem to stem from Epicurean meteorology itself, which accorded to mountains animportant role in the formation of clouds. The close link between this complex imagery andEpicurus’ theories, thus, offers an excellent example of Lucretius’ will of overcoming hismaster’s hostility towards poetry by shaping a poem that intimately reflected the Epicureantruth.