And now what cause
Hath spread divinities of gods abroad
Through mighty nations, and filled the cities full
Of the high altars, and led to practices
Of solemn rites in season- rites which still
Flourish in midst of great affairs of state
And midst great centres of man's civic life,
The rites whence still a poor mortality
Is grafted that quaking awe which rears aloft
Still the new temples of gods from land to land
And drives mankind to visit them in throngs
On holy days- 'tis not so hard to give
Reason thereof in speech. Because, in sooth,
Even in those days would the race of man
Be seeing excelling visages of gods
With mind awake; and in his sleeps, yet more-
Bodies of wondrous growth. And, thus, to these
Would men attribute sense, because they seemed
To move their limbs and speak pronouncements high,
Befitting glorious visage and vast powers.
And men would give them an eternal life,
Because their visages forevermore
Were there before them, and their shapes remained,
And chiefly, however, because men would not think
Beings augmented with such mighty powers
Could well by any force o'ermastered be.
This section of Lucretius contains one theme that is interesting concerning eternal life. That eternal life is being known. Lucretius is talking about idols and how their eternal life is subject to their being known by men. However, this view is consistent with the Roman people and Emperors, in that, eternal life was not living past death, but being remembered past death. The Romans and Greeks, particularly the Epicureans held that death is the end. Therefore, eternal life was not living past death, rather it was being known past death. Thus is why Emperor's went so far in conquest and building because those acts would be remembered.
In John 17:3 John adds a statement that seems a little misplaced:
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (NIV)
The phrase begins to take a new shape having considered the Greco-Roman view of eternal life. For the Romans, eternal life was about being known after death. Egocentric. For John, eternal life was about knowing Jesus Christ. Christocentric. Is John making a direct claim against the Roman view? Yes, but more than that, he is establishing a Christocentric eschatology, rather than a anthropocentric eschatology.
