Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §10.28.1

Sacrificial Pig Analogy and Willing Obedience to Fate

Passage 402 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author compares those who complain and resist fate to squealing sacrificial pigs, noting that only rational beings have the privilege of following destiny voluntarily.

§10.28.1Φαντάζου πάντα τὸν ἐφ’ ᾡτινιοῦν λυπούμενον ἢ δυσαρεστοῦντα ὅμοιον τῷ θυομένῳ χοιριδίῳ καὶ ἀπολακτίζοντι καὶ κεκραγότι· ὅμοιος καὶ ὁ οἰμώζων ἐπὶ τοῦ κλινιδίου μόνος σιωπῇ.
Imagine anyone who is grieved or discontented at anything to be like a little pig that is sacrificed, kicking and squealing; like it also is he who laments our bondage in silence, alone on his small bed.
τὴν ἔνδεσιν ἡμῶν καὶ ὅτι μόνῳ τῷ λογικῷ ζῴῳ δέδοται τὸ ἑκουσίως ἕπεσθαι τοῖς γινομένοις, τὸ δὲ ἕπεσθαι ψιλὸν πᾶσιν ἀναγκαῖον.
Reflect too that to the rational animal alone is it granted to follow voluntarily what happens, whereas simply to follow is necessary for all.

Notes

  1. 10.28.1ἐφ’ ᾧτινιοῦν — Composed of the preposition ἐπί (elided to ἐφ’ before a rough breathing) and ᾧτινιοῦν, the dative masculine/neuter singular of the generalizing relative pronoun ὅστις with the suffix -οὖν. It expresses strong generalization: 'at anything whatsoever.'
  2. 10.28.1τὴν ἔνδεσιν ἡμῶν — Accusative serving as the direct object of the participle ὁ οἰμώζων (he who laments). While οἰμώζω is usually intransitive, here it is used transitively meaning 'to lament something.' The noun ἔνδεσις means 'bondage' or 'binding,' referring here to our constraint under the cosmic order or fate.
  3. 10.28.1καὶ ὅτι — The beginning of a noun clause introduced by the conjunction ὅτι. It functions as the object of the imperative verb φαντάζου (imagine/reflect) at the beginning of the section, carrying over the hortatory force to direct the reader's attention to this realization.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §10.28.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.28.1

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