David Sedley posits a brilliantly argued thesis: Lucretius sought to inherit the mantle of Empedocles fame in communicating Epicurus' On Nature, the "dark wisdom of the Greeks" to his fellow Romans. Writing in hexameter verse, Sedley argues how Lucretius was imitating the style of Empedocles. Yet Lucretius completely ignores the innovations of other contemporary Epicureans like Philodemus, and this Sedley argues with success. But traces of Empedoclean imagery remain.

"By a great store of heroes, none renowned
More than Empedocles, and nothing there,
More holy, more remarkable, more dear.
His poems are godlike, and they cry aloud,
Announce such glorious findings that he seems
Scarcely a mortal being.

But he was wrong"

Take it from Lucretius directly in Book I.734. Lucretius loved the way Empedocles wrote poetry, but he vehemently disagreed with his message. Regarding the proem of Lucretius - all you need to do is read the fragments from Empedocles On Nature - its evident from physical evidence who Lucretius was imitating. ( )