Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §10.19.1

The Baseness and Fragility of Proud Rulers

Passage 393 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author contrasts the basic physical functions of human beings with their arrogant behavior as rulers, pointing out how recently they served others and how soon they will return to a lowly state.

§10.19.1Οἷοί εἰσιν ἐσθίοντες, καθεύδοντες, ὀχεύοντες, ἀποπατοῦντες, τὰ ἄλλα·
What kind of people they are when they eat, sleep, copulate, defecate, and do other things.
εἶτα οἷοι ἀνδρονομούμενοι καὶ γαυρούμενοι ἢ χαλεπαίνοντες καὶ ἐξ ὑπεροχῆς ἐπιπλήττοντες, πρὸ ὀλίγου δὲ ἐδούλευον πόσοις καὶ δι’ οἷα·
Then, what kind of people they are when they lord it over others, are proud, or are angry and scold from a position of superiority; yet a little while before, to how many they were serving as slaves, and for what reasons!
καὶ μετ’ ὀλίγον ἐν τοιούτοις ἔσονται.
And in a little while, they will be in such a state again.

Notes

  1. §10.19.1Οἷοί εἰσιν — An exclamatory clause, or an indirect question with an implied verb of seeing or considering (such as ἴδε). It showcases the author's clinical view of human behavior without romanticizing it.
  2. §10.19.1ἀνδρονομούμενοι — The present middle/passive participle of ἀνδρονομέω (to rule men, administer laws over men), here meaning acting as lords or exercising arrogant authority over others.
  3. §10.19.1ἐν τοιούτοις ἔσονται — It is debated what the neuter plural dative τοιούτοις refers to, but contextually it points either to the servile state of subjugation just mentioned, or to the helpless state of dissolution and death to which all humans return.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §10.19.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.19.1

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