Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §4.10.1

The Just Occurrence of All Things and Acting as a Good Man

Passage 60 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author presents the proposition that "everything happens justly," urging the reader to observe this cosmic justice and always act in accordance with being a "good man" in its true sense.

§4.10.1Ὅτι “πᾶν τὸ συμβαῖνον δικαίως συμβαίνει”· ὃ ἐὰν ἀκριβῶς παραφυλάσσῃς, εὑρήσεις·
That "everything that happens, happens justly." If you observe this closely, you will find it to be so.
οὐ λέγω μόνον κατὰ τὸ ἑξῆς, ἀλλʼ ὅτι κατὰ τὸ δίκαιον καὶ ὡς ἂν ὑπό τινος ἀπονέμοντος τὸ κατʼ ἀξίαν.
I do not mean only in the order of succession, but rather according to justice, and as if by someone who distributes to each according to their desert.
παραφύλασσε οὖν ὡς ἤρξω, καί, ὅ τι ἂν ποιῇς, σὺν τούτῳ ποίει, σὺν τῷ ἀγαθὸς εἶναι, καθὸ νενόηται ἰδίως ὁ ἀγαθός.
Observe then as you have begun, and whatever you do, do it with this: with being a good man, in the sense that "good" is properly understood.
τοῦτο ἐπὶ πάσης ἐνεργείας σῷζε.
Keep to this in every action.

Notes

  1. §4.10.1Ὅτι — The initial ὅτι is used without a main verb to introduce a proposition or heading ("That..."), typical of the note-like style of these meditations.
  2. §4.10.1ὡς ἂν — The conjunction ὡς combined with the particle ἂν implies a missing verb or participle (such as συμβαῖνον), expressing a hypothetical comparison: "as if [it were done] by someone..."
  3. §4.10.1σὺν τῷ ἀγαθὸς εἶναι — The preposition σύν is construed with the articular infinitive τῷ εἶναι. The complement of the infinitive, ἀγαθός, is in the nominative case because the implied subject of the infinitive is identical to the subject of the main clause (the second person singular "you").

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §4.10.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.10.1

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