Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §12.14.1

Three Views of the Cosmos and the Ruling Reason

Passage 465 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author presents three possibilities of cosmic order—fate's necessity, providence, or unruled chaos—and argues that in any case, one must preserve their own ruling intellect.

§12.14.1Ἤτοι ἀνάγκη εἱμαρμένης καὶ ἀπαράβατος τάξις ἢ πρόνοια ἱλάσιμος ἢ φυρμὸς εἰκαιότητος ἀπροστάτητος.

Either there is a necessity of fate and an inviolable order, or a placable providence, or an unruled confusion of chance.

εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀπαράβατος ἀνάγκη, τί ἀντιτείνεις;

If then there is an inviolable necessity, why do you resist?

εἰ δὲ πρόνοια ἐπιδεχομένη τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι, ἄξιον σαυτὸν ποίησον τῆς ἐκ τοῦ θείου βοηθείας.

But if there is a providence admitting of being placated, make yourself worthy of the help from the divine.

εἰ δὲ φυρμὸς ἀνηγεμόνευτος, ἀσμένιζε ὅτι ἐν τοιούτῳ κλύδωνι αὐτὸς ἔχεις ἐν σαυτῷ τινα νοῦν ἡγεμονικόν, κἂν παραφέρῃ σε ὁ κλύδων, παραφερέτω τὸ σαρκίδιον, τὸ πνευμάτιον, τἄλλα· τὸν γὰρ νοῦν οὐ παροίσει.

And if there is an unruled confusion, be content that in such a tempest you yourself have within yourself a certain ruling intellect; and even if the tempest sweep you away, let it sweep away the flesh, the breath, and the rest; for it will not sweep away the intellect.

Notes

12.14.1παραφερέτω — Third-person singular present active imperative. The subject is 'the tempest' (ὁ κλύδων) from the preceding clause, and the neuter nouns like 'the flesh' (το σαρκίδιον) function as direct objects. Rather than an intransitive or passive command with these neuter elements as subjects, it expresses a concessive active meaning: 'let the tempest sweep them away.'
12.14.1παροίσει — Third-person singular future active of the verb παραφέρω. The subject remains 'the tempest' (ὁ κλύδων), and the direct object is 'the intellect' (τὸν νοῦν). This completes the contrast that although the wave may sweep away the physical aspects, it can never sweep away the ruling intellect.
12.14.1ἐπιδεχομένη τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι — The present participle ἐπιδεχομένη (admitting of) takes the articular infinitive in the present middle/passive, τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι (to be placated), as its direct object, meaning 'a providence that admits of being placated or reconciled.'

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §12.14.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.14.1

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