Virgil - Felix Qui Potuit Rerum Cognoscere Causas

Regularly Checking In On A Small Screen Device? Bookmark THIS page!

Epicurean Friends Image Gallery

Welcome to the EpicureanFriends Image Gallery, where our Level 3 and above participants post and share images for public use in the teaching and promotion of Epicurean philosophy. Please limit contributions to those which directly relate and support the philosophy of Epicurus. Choose the topic to display by selecting from the "Categories" listed ( at left on a wide-screen device or in the footer below on a mobile device). To view the Latest Images, click here.

Virgil - Felix Qui Potuit Rerum Cognoscere Causas

Virgil - Felix Qui Potuit Rerum Cognoscere Causas

Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas - Wikipedia


“Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas” is verse 490 of Book 2 of the "Georgics" (29 BC), by the Latin poet Virgil (70 - 19 BC). It is literally translated as: “Fortunate, who was able to know the causes of things”. ] Virgil may have had in mind the Roman philosopher Lucretius, of the Epicurean school.

Uses[edit]

300px-Inscription_in_the_Catacombs_of_Paris.jpg
The verse on display in the Catacombs of Paris

This sentence is often written with a present tense instead of the past tense: “Felix, qui potest rerum cognoscere causas” (“Fortunate is he, who is able to know the causes of things”). Translators have also often added the adjective "hid" or "hidden" to qualify the causes.

The latter half of the phrase, "rerum cognoscere causas", is the motto of the London School of Economics, the University of Sheffield, Bruce Hall (residential college of the Australian National University), Humberside Collegiate, the University of Guelph, Hill Park Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario, the IVDI lecture hall of the University of Debrecen, the Science National Honor Society, the Royal Military College of Science,[2] the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel and the Romanian National Defense College [ro].[3]

Comments 3

September 18, 2021 at 8:39 AM
Author

So I like this one almost literally but in present tense:

Happy is he who is able to know the causes of things,

And all fear, and inexorable fate, he tramples underfoot, along with the roar of greedy hell.

So in this brief verse you've got a great summary of the Epicurean worldview:

  1. Pleasure/happiness
  2. Brought about by Knowledge of Nature
  3. Rejecting fear
  4. Rejecting fate
  5. And rejecting - violently! - the threats of religion, including fear of death.

For me this one is probably more complete and clear as a summary of the most important elements of Epicurean philosophy than is the Tetrapharmakon.

And better yet than the Tetrapharmakon? It's in LATIN and therefore easier for more modern westerners to memorize and see the meaning! ;)

Unfortunately for me when I look at many of the remaining texts it's still "Greek to me." But when I look at these Latin words I can almost imagine Lucretius / Virgil saying them, and me be actually able to understand him as he's saying it. - The only words being really foreign probably the metus and strepitum.
September 18, 2021 at 8:28 AM
Author

From Nodictionaries.com:

https://nodictionaries.com/vergil/georgic-2/475-540

felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas
felix, felicis (gen.), felicior -or -us, felicissimus -a -umhappy; blessed; fertile; favorable; lucky; successful, fruitful
cognosco, cognoscere, cognovi, cognitusbecome acquainted with/aware of; recognize; learn, find to be; inquire/examine
causa, causae Fcause/reason/motive; origin, source, derivation; responsibility/blame; symptom
atque metus omnis et inexorabile fatum
atqueand, as well/soon as; together with; and moreover/even; and too/also/now; yet
metus, metus Mfear, anxiety; dread, awe; object of awe/dread
inexorabilis, inexorabilis, inexorabileinexorable, relentless
fatum, fati Nutterance, oracle; fate, destiny; natural term of life; doom, death, calamity
subiecit pedibus strepitumque Acherontis auari:
subjicio, subjicere, subjeci, subjectusthrow under, place under; make subject; expose
pes, pedis Mfoot
strepo, strepere, strepui, strepitusmake a loud noise; shout confusedly; resound
avarus, avara -um, avarior -or -us, avarissimus -a -umavaricious, greedy; stingy, miserly, mean; covetous, hungry for
fortunatus et ille deos qui nouit agrestis
fortuno, fortunare, fortunavi, fortunatusmake happy, bless, prosper
nosco, noscere, novi, notusget to know; learn, find out; become cognizant of/acquainted/familiar with
agrestis, agrestis, agresterustic, inhabiting countryside; rude, wild, savage; of/passing through fields
Panaque Siluanumque senem Nymphasque sorores.
Pan, Panos/is MPan; Greek god of shepherds
silvanus, silvani Mgods associated with forest and uncultivated land
senex, senis (gen.), senior -or -us, -aged, old
nymphe, nymphes Fnymph; water; bride; young maiden
soror, sororis Fsister
September 18, 2021 at 7:50 AM

Here's a link to the English translation at the Perseus Digital Library:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?do…%3A1999.02.0058

"Happy, who had the skill to understand
Nature's hid causes, and beneath his feet
All terrors cast, and death's relentless doom,
And the loud roar of greedy Acheron."

Unread Threads

    1. Title
    2. Replies
    3. Last Reply

    2. Philodemus' "On Anger" - General - Texts and Resources 20

      • Cassius
      • July 8, 2025 at 7:33 AM
    3. Replies
      20
      Views
      7.1k
      20

    4. Kalosyni

      July 8, 2025 at 7:33 AM

    2. Mocking Epithets 3

      • Bryan
      • July 6, 2025 at 9:47 PM
    3. Replies
      3
      Views
      476
      3

    4. Bryan

      July 6, 2025 at 9:47 PM

    2. Best Lucretius translation? 12

      • Rolf
      • July 1, 2025 at 1:59 PM
    3. Replies
      12
      Views
      1.2k
      12

    4. Eikadistes

      July 1, 2025 at 1:59 PM

    2. The Religion of Nature - as supported by Lucretius' De Rerum Natura 4

      • Kalosyni
      • June 23, 2025 at 12:36 AM
    3. Replies
      4
      Views
      1k
      4

    4. Godfrey

      June 23, 2025 at 12:36 AM

    2. New Blog Post From Elli - " Fanaticism and the Danger of Dogmatism in Political and Religious Thought: An Epicurean Reading"

      • Cassius
      • June 20, 2025 at 4:31 PM
    3. Replies
      0
      Views
      2.7k

Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com

What's the best strategy for finding things on EpicureanFriends.com? Here's a suggested search strategy:

  • First, familiarize yourself with the list of forums. The best way to find threads related to a particular topic is to look in the relevant forum. Over the years most people have tried to start threads according to forum topic, and we regularly move threads from our "general discussion" area over to forums with more descriptive titles.
  • Use the "Search" facility at the top right of every page. Note that the search box asks you what section of the forum you'd like to search. If you don't know, select "Everywhere." Also check the "Search Assistance" page.
  • Use the "Tag" facility, starting with the "Key Tags By Topic" in the right hand navigation pane, or using the "Search By Tag" page, or the "Tag Overview" page which contains a list of all tags alphabetically. We curate the available tags to keep them to a manageable number that is descriptive of frequently-searched topics.