DRN: Lesson - Cicero's De Natura Deorum in Translation

Cicero's De Natura Deorum in Translation

Cicero's De Natura Deorum (On the Nature of the Gods) is a deeply philosophical work contemplating the nature of god (or God or gods). Cicero was not the first and certainly was not the last to provide his thoughts on this topic. Questions of god and religion are some of the most fundamental human inquiries - is there a god and if so, what does that mean about us? What role do the gods play in our lives?

It is highly likely that your understanding of Roman religion up to this point has involved learning about Roman mythology. Perhaps you had an impression that the Romans all viewed mythology as a true and accurate representation of the gods and thus held this view as their religion. Cicero sets out to provide a much deeper view of Roman thought on the matter: Romans were far from a monolith on the subject and views spread from atheism to monotheism to polytheism.

Please note: as a disclaimer, we want to make clear our view on this material. We are here to learn about the Roman people, not to encourage belief systems that are not your own. In no way does including the passage below indicate a preference for a particular belief system, nor should anyone take the following inclusion as proselytizing. The text below is included for educational purposes only!

Downloads

Please download the Cicero - Selections from On the Nature of the Gods Links to an external site. handout. You will be reading Book 1.

Use the English Reading Handout Links to an external site. to take notes on what you have read. Note: De Natura Deorum is often included in a larger collection of works and is paired with another work called The Tusculan Disptutations. The version provided here has eliminated the additional text so you can focus fully on the required reading.

Please note that this English translation of Cicero is in the public domain, so was written some time ago. Because of this, it may present some difficulties, in terms of style and presentation. Be sure to contact your instructor for any additional help with the content.

If you would like to read more, please download Cicero's Complete De Natura Deorum Links to an external site.. 

Additionally, you may listen to the Audiobook version, though at a minimum, please follow along with the text so you can become familiar with the names and places mentioned in the history. The audio files come from an open source called Libri Vox.

Cicero's On the Nature of the Gods - Audio Book Files

Book I (Part I) 209-229, I-XX

Book I (Part II) 229-254, XXI-XLIV

[CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Links to an external site.] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION - INTENDED ONLY FOR USE WITHIN LESSON.