This is one of the well-known cruces in Lucretius’ De rerum natura. Since the sixteenth century many scholars have proposed a variety of conjectures, which have been collected by Papanghelis,Footnote 1 but none of them has won general approval.
A comprehensive chronological survey of the suggested emendations of the transmitted magnis is certainly needless; however, it would be pertinent to revisit and reference some noteworthy conjectures. The bulk of emendations can be divided into two categories: first, a dative form to go with concede; second, a nominative or an adverb that modifies the subject. The earliest emendation belonging to the first category is attributed to Marullus: iam aliis. As Bailey noted,Footnote 2 however, it is ‘metrically awkward and feeble in sense’. Inge's humanis (‘yield to the common lot’) merits consideration,Footnote 3 but the term humanus is usually opposed to diuinus (‘the divine’) or animalis, a word that alludes to living creatures of a type other than human;Footnote 4 such a contrast is not contextually apt. Brandt's gnauis is by no means ludicrous,Footnote 5 but the dynamism of the next generation is relatively incongruous in the current context. In addition, Deufert justifiably questions whether gnauis can, on its own, have the connotation of youthfulness.Footnote 6 The most feasible emendation in the first group is Bernays's gnatis, which not only is palaeographically acceptable but also corresponds with nouitate in line 964. However, since this is the last line of Nature's long admonition, we expect something that summarizes it, rather than something which anticipates the next passage.
Papanghelis himself made great progress by proposing the emendation dignus, which belongs to the second category. He analysed the whole passage of Nature's accusation against the old man and pointed out that there is a key concept of dignity in this part of the poem. Nature's words convey an indignant tone, and she seems to claim that ‘if you didn't live with dignity, at least die with dignity, for die you must’.Footnote 7 Dignity plays a vital role in Lucretius’ ethical conception and dignus occurs several times in this book.Footnote 8 However, the passages he cites as support are somewhat removed from the line under investigation, and appear in different sections of the poem. Therefore, we have to concentrate on the precise words of Nature from line 933 to line 962 and interpret them using a different perspective.
What we need here is something which can match aequo animo, and the correct text must speak about the ideal attitude towards death. Hence, the best solution is C.E. Manning's gratus, which deserves due consideration but has been curiously neglected by recent editors.Footnote 9 Manning renders the passage as follows: ‘Give way gratefully and with equanimity: You'll have to go in any case.’Footnote 10 Although the image of a banquet (plenus uitae conuiua recedis, 938), as Manning points out, strongly favours this emendation, I will add further examples that make it more certain.
First, human gratitude is clearly of great importance here since gratus and ingratus repeatedly occur in previous lines. Nature censures people who are not grateful for her gifts:
After a long tirade, Nature declares that the old man, who is at the very end of his life, should change his attitude.Footnote 11
Second, the idea that the old man should appreciate his age and retire from life with thanks is not uncommon among classical writers.Footnote 12 We can find similar expressions in Epicurus’ own words. Before his death, the philosopher articulated his appreciation towards his friends for past conversations with them.Footnote 13 In another passage, he also asserts that only the wise man can be happy and grateful in the midst of great suffering.Footnote 14 However, the most striking example is the following passage (Diog. Laert. 10.122):
ὥστε φιλοσοφητέον καὶ νέῳ καὶ γέροντι, τῷ μὲν ὅπως γηράσκων νεάζῃ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς διὰ τὴν χάριν τῶν γεγονότων, τῷ δὲ ὅπως νέος ἅμα καὶ παλαιὸς ᾖ διὰ τὴν ἀφοβίαν τῶν μελλόντων·
According to Epicurus, philosophy makes a person both young and old at the same time; in other words, he becomes young by having no fear (ἀφοβία, aequo animo) and old by being thankful for things which have happened (χάρις τῶν γεγονότων, gratus). This is nothing other than a wise man's attitude towards death and exactly what we would expect in the last line of Nature's admonition in De rerum natura.
Finally, I would like to add a palaeographical consideration. Manning assumes the error of n for r and suggests the process gratus > gnatus > magnis.Footnote 15 Although there is no direct evidence of magnis for gratus, if we take into consideration some attested scribal mistakes, the corruption can be explained: first, gn can be substituted for gr (compare Housman's certain correction gnatorum for gratorum in MSS ML in Manilius 3.132);Footnote 16 second, m- of magnis is caused either by the last -m of agedum or, though this is less likely, by the combination of a relatively uncommon error (m for at)Footnote 17 with the transposition of letters (gn-at-us > m(a)-gn-is); third, -us changed to -is either owing to simple confusion or by a copyist who wanted a dative form.
