Claim: Following from Pliny's account, the shepherd's name has been often cited as giving rise to the Latin root word and etymological source of the English word for magnet and other authorities, including the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius.(Titus Lucretius Carus).
Evidence: Magnes the shepherd, sometimes described as Magnes the shepherd boy, is a mythological figure, possibly based on a real person, who was cited by Pliny the Elder as discovering natural magnetism. His name, "Magnes", the Latin word for magnetite, has been attributed as the origin of the Latin root that has passed into English, giving its speakers the words magnet, magnetism, the mentioned ore, and related formulations. Other authorities, including the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius (c. This article is about the Roman poet and philosopher. Titus Lucretius Carus (/ˈtaɪtəs luːˈkriːʃəs/ TY-təs loo-KREE-shəs; Latin: [ˈtɪtʊs lʊˈkreːtɪ.ʊs ˈkaː.rus; c. 99 – c. 55 BC) was a Roman poet and philosopher.