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You're right, Cassius , that is a good line! FYI: I noticed in the Perseus Latin edition, it's line 78-79. I fully agree with your take on religion vs superstition. Those translations of various permutations of "we are raised to heaven by victory" or, worse, "His conquest makes us equal to the Gods" bother me. It smacks of the supernatural. Lucretius's "caelo" is just the dative of caelum which is the "the sky, heaven, the heavens, the vault of heaven (in Lucr alone more than 150 times)." I don'…

vicissim seems to be just "on that other hand, in turn, etc" http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/h…99.04.0059:entry=vicissim opteritur appears to be "wear away, to tread upon, etc." http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/h…99.04.0059%3Aentry%3Dtero I see no terror or fear in those specific lines. That seems to be editorializing. Understandable editorializing, but not in the Latin.

(Quote from Cassius) I hear you! And I didn't mean to be pedantic Just in case someone was looking at their own copy and thinking "Hmm, why don't I see that on line 62???"

nos exaequat victoria caelo. Exaequat is an interesting verb and had some intriguing connotations. Perseus parses it as a "verb 3rd sg pres ind act" which would be "it X's" Nos can be nominative (subject) or accusative (direct object), so we or us. Since the verb is 3rd person singular, it almost has to be "us" here, doesn't it? Wouldn't "we are raised/equal" be "nos exaequamus"? The verb had the basic definition of "To make even or level or equal with any thing" So, I'm getting (with my literal…

And since Lucretius puts nos first, maybe the emphasis should be on us, accusative or not. My understanding is that the first word is used to denote emphasis.

(Quote from JJElbert) That looks to be a separate but related word: aequor http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/h…oup%3D27%3Aentry%3Daequor (Quote)

(Quote from JJElbert) That's my take. All related but distinct words with their own connotations. Sorry. I love digging in the weeds of language!

(Quote from JJElbert) The fact that you just used metonymy in casual conversation thrills my heart btw

(Quote from JJElbert) I have not!! Thanks for the tip!

(Quote from Cassius) That's an interesting turn there I hadn't noticed. That is saying Epicurus subdued religion, then we tread upon it in turn. Hmmm. Not sure if that's supported in the Latin but interesting nonetheless.

(Quote from Don) Yeah, I see no 1st person plural "we tread". All the verbs in those phrases appear to be 3rd person singular he/she/it.

quare religio pedibus subiecta vicissim opteritur, nos exaequat victoria caelo. My take is that Epicurus's "victory" is he is the first person (per Lucretius) to show how the superstitious fear of the gods is unnecessary and life-denying. Religion keeps us in bondage. By his victory, religion is trod underfoot and ground away (opteritur). His victory frees us from the shackles of religion, giving us the ability to be level with the heavens just as Epicurus cast his thoughts to the heavens and be…