Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §10.2.1

Observing the Demands of Animal and Rational Nature

Passage 376 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author advises to observe the demands of one's nature successively as a being of nature, as an animal, and as a rational and social being, accepting them as long as they do not harm the higher levels of nature.

§10.2.1Παρατήρει τί σου ἡ φύσις ἐπιζητεῖ ὡς ὑπὸ φύσεως μόνον διοικουμένου· εἶτα ποίει αὐτὸ καὶ προσίεσο, εἰ μὴ χεῖρον μέλλει διατίθεσθαί σου ἡ ὡς ζῴου φύσις.
Observe what your nature requires of you, as a being governed by nature alone; then do it and accept it, unless your nature as an animal is likely to be rendered worse by it.
ἑξῆς δὲ παρατηρητέον τί ἐπιζητεῖ σου ἡ ὡς ζῴου φύσις, καὶ πᾶν τοῦτο παραληπτέον, εἰ μὴ χεῖρον μέλλει διατίθεσθαι ἡ ὡς ζῴου λογικοῦ φύσις· ἔστι δὲ τὸ λογικὸν εὐθὺς καὶ πολιτικόν.
Next, you must observe what your nature as an animal requires, and all of this must be accepted, unless your nature as a rational animal is likely to be rendered worse by it; and that which is rational is straightway also social.
τούτοις δὴ κανόσι χρώμενος μηδὲν περιεργάζου.
Using these rules, trouble yourself about nothing more.

Notes

  1. §10.2.1διοικουμένου — A present passive participle in the masculine singular genitive, agreeing with the preceding pronoun `σου` (genitive). Together with `ὡς`, it forms a participial construction expressing a subjective assumption or condition of the subject of the imperative `Παρατήρει` ('as one who is governed...').
  2. §10.2.1διατίθεσθαι — Present middle-passive infinitive of `διατίθημι`. It functions as a complementary infinitive with `μέλλει` ('is likely to' or 'is destined to') and is modified by the adverb `χεῖρον` ('worse'), meaning 'to be placed in a worse condition' or 'to degenerate.' The subject is `ἡ ὡς ζῴου φύσις` (and `ἡ ὡς ζῴου λογικοῦ φύσις` in the second clause).
  3. §10.2.1εὐθὺς — Adverb meaning 'straightway' or 'directly,' used here in a logical rather than a temporal sense, indicating that what is rational (`λογικόν`) immediately and necessarily implies being social or civic (`πολιτικόν`).

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §10.2.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.2.1

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