Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §10.32.1

The Resolve to Live as a Simple and Good Person

Passage 406 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author urges that one should live in such a way that no one can truly say they are not simple or good, and that one should resolve to die rather than live without these virtues, as reason does not approve of such a life.

§10.32.1Μηδενὶ ἐξέστω εἰπεῖν ἀληθεύοντι περὶ σοῦ ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλοῦς ἢ ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαθός, ἀλλὰ ψευδέσθω, ὅστις τούτων τι περὶ σοῦ ὑπολήψεται.
Let it be permitted to no one to say with truth about you that you are not simple or that you are not good; but let whoever supposes any of these things about you be a liar.
πᾶν δὲ τοῦτο ἐπὶ σοί· τίς γὰρ ὁ κωλύων ἀγαθὸν εἶναί σε καὶ ἁπλοῦν;
And all this is in your power; for who is there to prevent you from being good and simple?
σὺ μόνον κρῖνον μηκέτι ζῆν, εἰ μὴ τοιοῦτος ἔσῃ· οὐδὲ γὰρ αἱρεῖ λόγος μὴ τοιοῦτον ὄντα.
Only do you decide to live no longer, if you will not be such; for indeed reason does not approve of your living if you are not such.

Notes

  1. 10.32.1ἀληθεύοντι — A present participle modifying the dative pronoun μηδενὶ. It functions here to express condition or manner, meaning 'speaking the truth' or 'with truth'.
  2. 10.32.1αἱρεῖ λόγος — An idiomatic expression meaning 'reason approves' or 'reason allows'. It governs the subsequent infinitive clause (where ζῆν 'to live' is understood from the preceding sentence), meaning 'reason does not allow [one] to live if one is not such'.
  3. 10.32.1μὴ τοιοῦτον ὄντα — The accusative singular masculine of the present participle of εἰμί with the negative particle μή. It agrees with the implied subject of the omitted infinitive ζῆν ('to live') and expresses a condition: 'if one is not such' or 'being not such'.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §10.32.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.32.1

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.