Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §10.15.1

Living According to Nature and Treating the Universe as a City

Passage 389 of 486 · Greek

Summary

Reflecting on the shortness of remaining life, the author urges living anywhere as if on a mountain, treating the universe as one's city. He advises presenting to the world a true man living according to nature, even if others cannot endure him and put him to death, as such a death is preferable to an unnatural life.

§10.15.1Ὀλίγον ἐστὶ τὸ ὑπολειπόμενον τοῦτο.
This remaining time is short.
ζῆσον ὡς ἐν ὄρει· οὐδὲν γὰρ διαφέρει ἐκεῖ ἢ ὧδε, ἐάν τις πανταχοῦ ὡς ἐν πόλει τῷ κόσμῳ.
Live as on a mountain; for it makes no difference whether a man is there or here, if he lives everywhere in the world as in a state.
ἰδέτωσαν, ἱστορησάτωσαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἄνθρωπον ἀληθινὸν κατὰ φύσιν ζῶντα.
Let men see, let them study a true man living according to nature.
εἰ μὴ φέρουσιν, ἀποκτεινάτωσαν· κρεῖττον γὰρ ἢ οὕτως ζῆν.
If they cannot endure him, let them kill him; for it is better to die than to live in such a way.

Notes

  1. §10.15.1τῷ κόσμῳ — In the phrase "ὡς ἐν πόλει τῷ κόσμῳ", the dative "τῷ κόσμῳ" functions in apposition to "ἐν πόλει" or as a dative of reference, meaning "in the universe as in a state" or "treating the universe as a city." An omitted verb like "ζῇ" (lives) must be understood to complete the conditional clause.
  2. §10.15.1κρεῖττον γὰρ ἢ οὕτως ζῆν — The infinitive that should serve as the subject of the neuter comparative "κρεῖττον" is omitted. Given the preceding "ἀποκτεινάτωσαν" (let them kill), "to die" (ἀποθανεῖν) is understood: "for [to die] is better than to live in such a way."

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §10.15.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.15.1

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