Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §1.13.1

Lessons from Catulus: Care for Friends and Teachers

Passage 13 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author lists the lessons learned from Catulus: not ignoring a friend's complaints even if unreasonable, showing heartfelt gratitude to teachers, and loving one's children genuinely.

§1.13.1Παρὰ Κατούλου τὸ μὴ ὀλιγώρως ἔχειν φίλου αἰτιωμένου τι, κἂν τύχῃ ἀλόγως αἰτιώμενος, ἀλλὰ πειρᾶσθαι ἀποκαθιστάναι ἐπὶ τὸ σύνηθες· καὶ τὸ περὶ τῶν διδασκάλων ἐκθύμως εὔφημον, οἷα τὰ περὶ Δομιτίου καὶ Ἀθηνοδότου ἀπομνημονευόμενα· καὶ τὸ περὶ τὰ τέκνα ἀληθινῶς ἀγαπητικόν.
From Catulus, not to be dismissive when a friend finds fault, even if he happens to do so unreasonably, but to try to restore him to his usual disposition; and to be heartily full of praise for one's teachers, like the stories recorded about Domitius and Athenodotus; and to be genuinely affectionate towards one's children.

Notes

  1. 1.13.1ὀλιγώρως ἔχειν φίλου — The idiom "ἔχω + adverb" means "to be in a certain state," and here ὀλιγώρως ἔχειν ("to be dismissive/indifferent") takes the genitive object φίλου. The participle αἰτιωμένου agrees with this genitive.
  2. 1.13.1κἂν τύχῃ ἀλόγως αἰτιώμενος — The verb τυγχάνω combined with a participle (αἰτιώμενος) expresses the idea of "happening to do something" or "actually doing something." The subjunctive form τύχῃ is used here inside the conditional clause introduced by κἄν (καὶ ἐάν).

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §1.13.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.13.1

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