Resumen de Lucretius' Malodorous Mistress (De Rerum Natura 4.1175)
In the course of his attack on romantic love, Lucretius asserts that even the most beautiful woman shares the failings of an ugly one, such as making bad smells. The source of this smell is controversial, with suggestions including perfume, cosmetics, defecation, menstruation, flatulence and gynecological fumigation. The article lays down four criteria for a convincing interpretation and tests the different theories against these. It concludes that the reference is scatological and illustrates the influence of the passage on certain poems of Jonathan Swift.
