Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §10.9.1

Harmonizing Action with Contemplation and Knowing the Essence of Things

Passage 383 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author warns against losing sacred doctrines to worldly distractions, emphasizing the harmony of practical activity and theoretical contemplation, and questions when one will truly enjoy the essential knowledge of things.

§10.9.1Μῖμος, πόλεμος, πτοία, νάρκα, δουλεία·
Play-acting, war, flutter, torpor, slavery.
καθ’ ἡμέραν ἀπαλείψεταί σου τὰ ἱερὰ ἐκεῖνα δόγματα, ὁπόσα ἀφυσιολογήτως φαντάζῃ καὶ παραπέμπεις.
Day by day, those sacred doctrines of yours will be wiped out, all those which you represent to yourself unscientifically and let pass.
δεῖ δὲ πᾶν οὕτω βλέπειν καὶ πράσσειν ὥστε καὶ τὸ πρακτικὸν ἅμα συντελεῖσθαι καὶ ἅμα τὸ θεωρητικὸν ἐνεργεῖσθαι καὶ τὸ ἐκ τῆς περὶ ἑκάστων ἐπιστήμης αὔθαδες σῴζεσθαι λανθάνον, οὐχὶ κρυπτόμενον.
But one must so view and do everything that both the practical activity is at the same time accomplished and the theoretical contemplation is energized, and that the self-confidence arising from the knowledge of each thing is preserved in an unobtrusive, yet not a hidden way.
πότε γὰρ ἁπλότητος ἀπολαύσεις;
For when will you enjoy simplicity?
πότε δὲ σεμνότητος;
When gravity?
πότε δὲ τῆς ἐφ’ ἑκάστου γνωρίσεως, τί τε ἐστὶ κατ̓ οὐσίαν καὶ τίνα χώραν ἔχει ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ἐπὶ πόσον πέφυκεν ὑφίστασθαι καὶ ἐκ τίνων συγκέκριται καὶ τίσι δύναται ὑπάρχειν καὶ τίνες δύνανται αὐτὸ διδόναι τε καὶ ἀφαιρεῖσθαι;
When the knowledge of each thing, what it is in essence, what place it holds in the universe, how long it is by nature fitted to exist, what it is composed of, to whom it can belong, and who are able to give it and take it away?

Notes

  1. §10.9.1ὁπόσα ἀφυσιολογήτως φαντάζῃ καὶ παραπέμπεις — The relative pronoun ὁπόσα qualifies or stands in apposition to the antecedent τὰ ἱερὰ ἐκεῖνα δόγματα. It indicates that the doctrines represented unscientifically (without physical or rational examination) and neglected will be wiped out.
  2. §10.9.1τὸ ἐκ τῆς περὶ ἑκάστων ἐπιστήμης αὔθαδες — While αὔθαδες (substantive neuter of αὐθάδης) usually carries a negative connotation of 'stubbornness' or 'arrogance', here in the Stoic context it is used positively to mean 'unshakable self-confidence,' 'firmness,' or 'mental independence' based on true knowledge.
  3. §10.9.1λανθάνον, οὐχὶ κρυπτόμενον — A contrast between the participles λανθάνον (escaping notice, being unobtrusive) and κρυπτόμενον (being intentionally hidden or concealed). It distinguishes between intellectual confidence being naturally kept quiet without vanity, and it being deliberately concealed as if it were something to be ashamed of.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §10.9.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.9.1

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.