De rerum natura vs Moralia: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Ancient Philosophy, Early works to 1800, Science, Philosophy, Poetry
De rerum natura
This is regarded as a seminal text of Epicurean science and philosophy. Epicurians discarded both the idea of immortality and the superstitious worship of wilful gods for a life of serene contentment in the available…
vs
Moralia
The Moralia of the 1st-century Greek scholar Plutarch of Chaeronea is an eclectic collection of 78 essays and transcribed speeches. They provide insights into Roman and Greek life, but often are also timeless…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Moralia is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 5 for De rerum natura.
- De rerum natura has the widest readership — 14924 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| De rerum natura | Moralia | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (14924) | 4.0 (251) |
| Hardcover | — | 2.0 (1) |
Reception
| De rerum natura | Moralia | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 14924 | 251 |
| Editions | 537 | 211 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 25726 | 1496 |
| Pages | 311 | 15 |