§12.25.1Βάλε ἔξω τὴν ὑπόληψιν· σέσωσαι.
Cast out your opinion; you are saved.
τίς οὖν ὁ κωλύων ἐκβάλλειν;
Who then is the one who hinders you from casting it out?
Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §12.25.1
Saving Oneself by Casting Out False Opinions
Summary
Explains that one is saved by casting out one's opinion, and that nothing but oneself hinders doing so.
Notes
- 12.25.1σέσωσαι — Second-person singular perfect indicative passive of σῴζω (to save). Following the imperative, it expresses a logical sequence of condition and result ("do this, and you are saved"). The perfect tense emphasizes that the salvation is accomplished immediately and remains in effect once the opinion is cast out.
- 12.25.1ὁ κωλύων — The present active participle with the article, functioning substantively as "the one who hinders." In this sentence, the copula (ἐστί) is omitted, and this phrase forms the predicate of a nominal sentence with the interrogative pronoun τίς (who) as the subject.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §12.25.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.25.1
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