Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §3.15.1

True Meaning of Daily Actions and Seeing with the Mind

Passage 49 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author points out that common people do not understand the true meaning of daily actions, and that discerning what must be done is achieved not by the physical eyes but by spiritual vision.

§3.15.1Οὐκ ἴσασι, πόσα σημαίνει τὸ κλέπτειν, τὸ σπείρειν, τὸ ὠνεῖσθαι, τὸ ἡσυχάζειν, τὸ ὁρᾶν τὰ πρακτέα, ὃ οὐκ ὀφθαλμοῖς γίνεται ἀλλ’ ἑτέρᾳ τινὶ ὄψει.
They do not know how many things are meant by stealing, sowing, buying, keeping quiet, seeing what must be done, which is not done with the eyes but with another kind of vision.

Notes

  1. §3.15.1πόσα σημαίνει — πόσα is a neuter plural. In accordance with classical Greek syntax where a neuter plural subject takes a singular verb, the verb σημαίνει is in the third person singular. Here, the coordinated articular infinitives (τὸ κλέπτειν, etc.) function as the subject, and πόσα is the neuter plural accusative acting as the object ('how many things [these actions] mean').
  2. §3.15.1ὃ — Relative pronoun, neuter singular nominative. It refers back to the preceding articular infinitive phrase τὸ ὁρᾶν τὰ πρακτέα (seeing what must be done) or specifically to τὸ ὁρᾶν (seeing).
  3. §3.15.1ἑτέρᾳ τινὶ ὄψει — Dative of means. The noun ὄψις denotes not only physical 'vision' or 'eye,' but also rational or spiritual 'intuition' or 'insight.' Here, contrasted with ὀφθαλμοῖς (physical eyes), it refers to the eye of the soul or reason.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §3.15.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.15.1

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