Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §12.1.1-12.1.2

Attaining Goodness by Living the Present Rightly

Passage 452 of 486 · Greek

Summary

By abandoning the past, committing the future to providence, and living the present in holiness and justice, one can immediately attain the desired happiness without a circuitous path, becoming worthy of the universe.

§12.1.1Πάντα ἐκεῖνα, ἐφ’ ἃ διὰ περιόδου εὔχῃ ἐλθεῖν, ἤδη ἔχειν δύνασαι, ἐὰν μὴ σαυτῷ φθονῇς.
All those things which you pray to reach by a circuitous path, you can already possess, if you do not begrudge yourself.
τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν, ἐὰν πᾶν τὸ παρελθὸν καταλίπῃς καὶ τὸ μέλλον ἐπιτρέψῃς τῇ προνοίᾳ καὶ τὸ παρὸν μόνον ἀπευθύνῃς πρὸς ὁσιότητα καὶ δικαιοσύνην.
And this will be, if you leave behind all the past, and commit the future to providence, and direct the present alone toward holiness and justice.
ὁσιότητα μέν, ἵνα φιλῇς τὸ ἀπονεμόμενον· σοὶ γὰρ αὐτὸ ἡ φύσις ἔφερε καὶ σὲ τούτῳ·
Toward holiness, in order that you may love what is allotted to you; for nature brought this to you and you to this.
δικαιοσύνην δέ, ἵνα ἐλευθέρως καὶ χωρὶς περιπλοκῆς λέγῃς τε τἀληθῆ καὶ πράσσῃς τὰ κατὰ νόμον καὶ κατ’ ἀξίαν· μὴ ἐμποδίζῃ δέ σε μήτε κακία ἀλλοτρία μήτε ὑπόληψις μήτε φωνὴ μηδὲ μὴν αἴσθησις τοῦ περιτεθραμμένου σοι σαρκιδίου· ὄψεται γὰρ τὸ πάσχον.
Toward justice, in order that you may freely and without complication both speak the truth and act according to law and according to worth; and let neither another's malice, nor opinion, nor voice, nor indeed the sensation of the flesh that has grown around you, obstruct you; for that which suffers will see to it.
§12.1.2ἐὰν οὖν, ὅτε δήποτε πρὸς ἐξόδῳ γένῃ, πάντα τὰ ἄλλα καταλιπὼν μόνον τὸ ἡγεμονικόν σου καὶ τὸ ἐν σοὶ θεῖον τιμήσῃς καὶ μὴ τὸ παύσεσθαί ποτε τοῦ ζῆν φοβηθῇς, ἀλλὰ τό γε μηδέποτε ἄρξασθαι κατὰ φύσιν ζῆν, ἔσῃ ἄνθρωπος ἄξιος τοῦ γεννήσαντος κόσμου καὶ παύσῃ ξένος ὢν τῆς πατρίδος καὶ θαυμάζων ὡς ἀπροσδόκητα τὰ καθ’ ἡμέραν γινόμενα καὶ κρεμάμενος ἐκ τοῦδε καὶ τοῦδε.
If then, whenever you come to your departure, leaving behind all other things, you honor only your ruling faculty and the divine element within you, and fear not the ceasing to live at some time, but rather the never having begun to live according to nature, you will be a man worthy of the universe that begot you, and you will cease to be a stranger to your fatherland, and to wonder at daily events as if they were unexpected, and to hang upon this and that.

Notes

  1. 12.1.1ἐὰν μὴ σαυτῷ φθονῇς — Meaning "if you do not begrudge yourself." The verb `φθονέω` takes the dative and, besides "to envy," means "to grudge or withhold (something) from someone." Here, in a positive context, it refers to not denying oneself the happiness or goodness that is available.
  2. 12.1.1σοὶ γὰρ αὐτὸ ἡ φύσις ἔφερε καὶ σὲ τούτῳ — In the latter clause `καὶ σὲ τούτῳ`, the verb `ἔφερε` from the former clause is omitted and must be supplied: "and (nature brought) you to this." It expresses a reciprocal providential relationship where nature brings the circumstance to the individual and fits the individual to the circumstance.
  3. 12.1.1ὄψεται γὰρ τὸ πάσχον — Meaning "for that which suffers (the body/passive part) will look to it." The neuter present participle `τὸ πάσchον` serves as the subject, referring to the physical or passive body as distinct from the ruling soul (rational part). The verb `ὄψομαι` is used here in the sense of "to see to, care for, or attend to."
  4. 12.1.2παύσῃ ξένος ὢν τῆς πατρίδος καὶ θαυμάζων... καὶ κρεμάμενος... — The second-person singular future middle `παύσῃ` ("you will cease") governs three coordinated participles: `ὢν`, `θαυμάζων`, and `κρεμάμενος`. The verb `παύομαι` typically takes a supplementary participle to mean "cease doing something."

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §12.1.1-12.1.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.1.1-12.1.2

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.