The Swerve: How the World Became Modern is a 2011 book by Stephen Greenblatt
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The Swerve: How the World Became Modern is a 2011 book by Stephen Greenblatt that tells the story of how the rediscovery of a single book, Lucretius's On the Nature of Things, changed the course of Western history. Chapter 1: The Garden of Epicurus The book begins with a description of the Garden of Epicurus, a real place in Athens where the ancient philosopher Epicurus and his followers lived and taught. The Garden was a place of peace and contemplation, where people could come to escape the cares of the world. Epicurus believed that the goal of life was to achieve happiness, and he taught that this could be done by living a simple life of moderation and by avoiding pain. Chapter 2: The Dark Ages The next chapter tells the story of how the Garden of Epicurus was lost to the world. In the centuries after Epicurus's death, his teachings were suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church. The Church believed that Epicurus's ideas were dangerous, because they challenged the author...