The ancient history of philosophy furnishes us with two towering traditions: that of classical political science (Plato and Aristotle), and that of classical hedonism (Epicurus and Lucretius). In the work of Machiavelli, some of the language from classical political science is borrowed or retained; but the substance of the political science built into Machiavelli's model is actually anchored in the classically hedonistic heritage. By studying Lucretius' poem De Rerum Nature and its impact on literary and political circles