Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §10.3.1

Bearing Events Through the Judgment of Reason

Passage 377 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author argues that everything that happens is either bearable or unbearable, and in either case, one should not complain. He reminds the reader that any event can be made bearable through one's own judgment of its usefulness or duty.

§10.3.1Πᾶν τὸ συμβαῖνον ἤτοι οὕτω συμβαίνει ὡς πέφυκας αὐτὸ φέρειν ἢ ὡς οὐ πέφυκας αὐτὸ φέρειν.
Everything that happens happens in such a way that you are either formed by nature to bear it or not formed by nature to bear it.
εἰ μὲν οὖν συμβαίνει σοι ὡς πέφυκας φέρειν. μὴ δυσχέραινε, ἀλλ’ ὡς πέφυκας φέρε.
If, then, it happens to you in such a way that you are formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, but bear it as you are formed by nature to do.
εἰ δὲ ὡς μὴ πέφυκας φέρειν, μὴ δυσχέραινε· φθαρήσεται γάρ σε ἀπαναλῶσαν.
But if it happens in such a way that you are not formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, for it will perish after it has consumed you.
μέμνησο μέντοι ὅτι πέφυκας φέρειν πᾶν, περὶ οὗ ἐπὶ τῇ ὑπολήψει ἐστὶ τῇ σῇ φορητὸν καὶ ἀνεκτὸν αὐτὸ ποιῆσαι κατὰ φαντασίαν τοῦ συμφέρειν ἢ καθήκειν σεαυτῷ τοῦτο ποιεῖν.
Remember, however, that you are formed by nature to bear everything which it is in the power of your judgment to make bearable and tolerable, by representing to yourself that to do this is either to your advantage or your duty.

Notes

  1. 10.3.1φθαρήσεται γάρ σε ἀπαναλῶσαν — Meaning 'for it will perish after having consumed you'. The subject of the intransitively used φθαρήσεται (3rd singular future passive) is the neuter singular phrase πᾶν τὸ συμβαῖνον (everything that happens). ἀπαναλῶσαν is the unaugmented aorist active participle (neuter singular nominative) of ἀπαναλίσκω (to consume, destroy), which agrees with the subject and takes the accusative σε (you) as its direct object.
  2. 10.3.1ἐπὶ τῇ ὑπολήψει ἐστὶ τῇ σῇ φορητὸν καὶ ἀνεκτὸν αὐτὸ ποιῆσαι — The prepositional phrase ἐπί + dative denotes dependence ('depends on', 'is in the power of'), while the nominative infinitive phrase ποιῆσαι... serves as the subject of the sentence. αὐτό (it) is the object of the infinitive ποιῆσαι, and φορητὸν καὶ ἀνεκτόν are its predicate accusatives ('to make it bearable and tolerable').
  3. 10.3.1τοῦ συμφέρειν ἢ καθήκειν σεαυτῷ τοῦτο ποιεῖν — The articular infinitives συμφέρειν and καθήκειν in the genitive case (introduced by τοῦ) modify φαντασίαν (representation). The subject of these impersonal infinitives is the infinitive phrase with the dative pronoun σεαυτῷ τοῦτο ποιεῖν (that you do this).

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §10.3.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.3.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.