On the Nature of Things (De rerum natura) is a first-century BC didactic poem by the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius with the goal of explaining Epicurean philosophy to a broader Roman audience. The poem explores Epicurean physics through poetic language and metaphors. Titus Lucretius Carus (c. 15 October 99 BC – c. 55 BC) was a Roman poet and philosopher, mainly known for his masterpiece On the Nature of Things (De rerum natura).