Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §12.2.1

Focusing on the Ruling Faculty Stripped of Material Coverings

Passage 453 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author explains how God views human ruling faculties stripped of material coverings, urging humans to likewise turn away from the physical body and external vanities to focus on the inner self.

§12.2.1Ὁ θεὸς πάντα τὰ ἡγεμονικὰ γυμνὰ τῶν ὑλικῶν ἀγγείων καὶ φλοιῶν καὶ καθαρμάτων ὁρᾷ· μόνῳ γὰρ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ νοερῷ μόνων ἅπτεται τῶν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ εἰς ταῦτα ἐρρυηκότων καὶ ἀπωχετευμένων.
God sees all ruling faculties stripped of their material vessels, husks, and impurities; for with His own intellectual part alone, He touches only that which has flowed and been channeled from Himself into them.
ἐὰν δὲ καὶ σὺ τοῦτο ἐθίσῃς ποιεῖν, τὸν πολὺν περισπασμὸν σεαυτοῦ περιαιρήσεις·
And if you also accustom yourself to do this, you will rid yourself of much distraction.
ὁ γὰρ μὴ τὰ περικείμενα κρεᾴδια ὁρῶν, ἦ πού γε ἐσθῆτα καὶ οἰκίαν καὶ δόξαν καὶ τὴν τοιαύτην περιβολὴν καὶ σκηνὴν θεώμενος, ἀσχολήσεται.
For he who does not look at the surrounding flesh will surely not busy himself with gazing at clothing, house, reputation, or any such outer covering and stage scenery.

Notes

  1. 12.2.1γυμνὰ τῶν ὑλικῶν ἀγγείων καὶ φλοιῶν καὶ καθαρμάτων — The adjective γυμνά ('stripped', 'bare') takes the genitive of separation (τῶν ὑλικῶν ἀγγείων...). It functions as an object complement to πάντα τὰ ἡγεμονικά.
  2. 12.2.1μόνῳ γὰρ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ νοερῷ — The dative τῷ... νοερῷ expresses means or instrument ('by/with His own intellectual part') with the verb ἅπτεται. The object of ἅπτεται is the subsequent genitive τῶν... ἐρρυηκότων.
  3. 12.2.1ἦ πού γε... ἀσχολήσεται — The combination of particles ἦ πού γε introduces a strong rhetorical question or inference ('surely... not / how much less will he...'). The future middle verb ἀσχολήσεται ('will busy himself / will be distracted') is modified by the circumstantial participle θεώμενος ('gazing at').

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §12.2.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.2.1

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