Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §11.6.1-11.6.2

The Ethical Purpose of Tragedy and Comedy

Passage 418 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author reviews the historical and ethical significance of drama, from tragedy to Old, Middle, and New Comedy, explaining how tragedy teaches the necessity of life's events and how comedy warns against vanity through plainness of speech.

§11.6.1Πρῶτον αἱ τραγῳδίαι παρήχθησαν ὑπομνηστικαὶ τῶν συμβαινόντων καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα οὕτως πέφυκε γίνεσθαι καὶ ὅτι, οἷς ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς ψυχαγωγεῖσθε, τούτοις μὴ ἄχθεσθε ἐπὶ τῆς μείζονος σκηνῆς·

First, tragedies were introduced to remind us of the things that happen, and that these things naturally happen in this way, and that you should not be vexed on the larger stage by those things which delight you on the stage.

ὁρᾶτε γὰρ ὅτι οὕτως δεῖ ταῦτα περαίνεσθαι καὶ ὅτι φέρουσιν αὐτὰ καὶ οἱ κεκραγότες· ʽἰὼ Κιθαιρών.

For you see that these things must end in this way, and that even those who cry out "Ah, Cithaeron!" bear them.

ʼ καὶ λέγεται δέ τινα ὑπὸ τῶν τὰ δράματα ποιούντων χρησίμως· οἷόν ἐστιν ἐκεῖνο μάλιστα· "εἰ δ’ ἠμελήθην ἐκ θεῶν καὶ παῖδ’ ἐμώ, ἔχει λόγον καὶ τοῦτο· " καὶ πάλιν· "τοῖς πράγμασιν γὰρ οὐχὶ θυμοῦσθαι· " καί· "βίον θερίζειν ὥστε κάρπιμον στάχυν· " §11.6.2καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα.

And some useful things are also said by the dramatic poets; such as this above all: "If I and my children have been neglected by the gods, this too has its reason." And again: "We must not be angry with circumstances." And: "To reap life like a ripe ear of corn." and other such sayings.

μετὰ δὲ τὴν τραγῳδίαν ἡ ἀρχαία κωμῳδία παρήχθη, παιδαγωγικὴν παρρησίαν ἔχουσα καὶ τῆς ἀτυφίας οὐκ ἀχρήστως δι’ αὐτῆς τῆς εὐθυρρημοσύνης ὑπομιμνῄσκουσα· πρὸς οἷόν τι καὶ Διογένης ταυτὶ παρελάμβανε.

After tragedy, the Old Comedy was introduced, having a pedagogical freedom of speech, and not uselessly reminding us of simplicity of mind by its very plainness of speech; for which kind of purpose Diogenes also adopted these things.

μετὰ ταύτην ἡ μέση κωμῳδία καὶ λοιπὸν ἡ νέα πρὸς τί ποτε παρείληπται, ἣ κατ’ ὀλίγον ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκ μιμήσεως φιλοτεχνίαν ὑπερρύη, ἐπίστησον.

After this, consider for what purpose the Middle Comedy, and subsequently the New, was introduced, which gradually degenerated into the artistic skill of mere imitation.

ὅτι μὲν γὰρ λέγεται καὶ ὑπὸ τούτων τινὰ χρήσιμα οὐκ ἀγνοεῖται, ἀλλὰ ἡ ὅλη ἐπιβολὴ τῆς τοιαύτης ποιήσεως καὶ δραματουργίας πρὸς τίνα ποτὲ σκοπὸν ἀπέβλεψεν;

For that some useful things are said even by these writers is not ignored, but to what end did the whole aim of such poetry and playwriting look?

Notes

11.6.1ὑπομνηστικαὶ τῶν συμβαινόντων καὶ ὅτι... καὶ ὅτι... — The genitive noun phrase (`τῶν συμβαινόντων`) and two `ὅτι` clauses are coordinated as complements to the adjective `ὑπομνηστικαὶ`. Furthermore, inside the second `ὅτι` clause (`μὴ ἄχθεσθε`), an imperative (second-person plural) is used despite being in a dependent clause of indirect speech, representing an anacoluthon or mixed discourse where the direct command is retained.
11.6.1τοῖς πράγμασιν γὰρ οὐχὶ θυμοῦσθαι — Quoted from Euripides. The present infinitive `θυμοῦσθαι` functions as an absolute infinitive (infinitive for imperative) expressing command or necessity.
11.6.2πρὸς τί ποτε παρείληπται... ἐπίστησον — The imperative verb `ἐπίστησον` ("fix your attention on, consider") is placed at the end, preceded by the indirect question clause `πρὸς τί ποτε παρείληπται` which serves as its object. The relative clause `ἣ ... ὑπερρύη` is a parenthetical clause modifying the antecedent `ἡ νέα` (New Comedy).

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §11.6.1-11.6.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.6.1-11.6.2

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