Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §2.3.1

Providence, Cosmic Harmony, and Abandoning Books

Passage 20 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author discusses the connection between divine providence, fortune, and the harmony of the whole universe, urging himself to discard his thirst for books and meet death with a grateful heart.

§2.3.1Τὰ τῶν θεῶν προνοίας μεστά.
The things of the gods are full of providence.
τὰ τῆς τύχης οὐκ ἄνευ φύσεως ἢ συγκλώσεως καὶ ἐπιπλοκῆς τῶν προνοίᾳ διοικουμένων.
The things of fortune are not separate from nature or from the spinning and weaving together of the things governed by providence.
πάντα ἐκεῖθεν ῥεῖ· πρόσεστι δὲ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον καὶ τὸ τῷ ὅλῳ κόσμῳ συμφέρον, οὗ μέρος εἶ.
Everything flows from that source; and there is added necessity, and what is beneficial to the whole universe, of which you are a part.
παντὶ δὲ φύσεως μέρει ἀγαθόν, ὃ φέρει ἡ τοῦ ὅλου φύσις καὶ ὃ ἐκείνης ἐστὶ σωστικόν.
And for every part of nature, that which is brought by the nature of the whole, and which is preservative of it, is good.
σῴζουσι δὲ κόσμον, ὥσπερ αἱ τῶν στοιχείων, οὕτως καὶ αἱ τῶν συγκριμάτων μεταβολαί.
And the changes of the compound bodies, just as those of the elements, preserve the universe.
ταῦτά σοι ἀρκείτω καὶ δόγματα ἔστω.
Let these thoughts suffice for you, and let them be your dogmas.
τὴν δὲ τῶν βιβλίων δίψαν ῥῖψον, ἵνα μὴ γογγύζων ἀποθάνῃς, ἀλλὰ ἵλεως ἀληθῶς καὶ ἀπὸ καρδίας εὐχάριστος τοῖς θεοῖς.
But cast away your thirst for books, so that you may not die murmuring, but rather truly cheerful and grateful to the gods from your heart.

Notes

  1. §2.3.1τῶν προνοίᾳ διοικουμένων — Genitive neuter plural of the present passive participle, used substantively. It means 'the things governed by providence (προνοίᾳ, dative)' and modifies the preceding nouns συγκλώσεως (spinning) and ἐπιπλοκῆς (weaving together).
  2. §2.3.1ὃ ἐκείνης ἐστὶ σωστικόν — A relative clause introduced by ὃ. The genitive feminine singular demonstrative pronoun ἐκείνης refers back to ἡ τοῦ ὅλου φύσις (the nature of the whole) and functions as the objective genitive governed by the adjective σωστικόν (preservative).
  3. §2.3.1ἀλλὰ ἵλεως ἀληθῶς καὶ ἀπὸ καρδίας εὐχάριστος — After the conjunction ἀλλὰ, the verb ἀποθάνῃς (you may die) from the preceding clause is implied. The nominative adjectives ἵλεως (cheerful) and εὐχάριστος (grateful) modify the subject of the verb (second person singular 'you') predicatively, indicating the state in which one dies.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §2.3.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.3.1

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