Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §4.36.1

Generation Through Constant Change and Everything as Seed

Passage 86 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author advises constantly observing that everything arises through change, and that all existing things are seeds of what will come from them, cautioning against a narrow understanding of seeds.

§4.36.1Θεώρει διηνεκῶς πάντα κατὰ μεταβολὴν γινόμενα καὶ ἐθίζου ἐννοεῖν, ὅτι οὐδὲν οὕτως φιλεῖ ἡ τῶν ὅλων φύσις ὡς τὸ τὰ ὄντα μεταβάλλειν καὶ ποιεῖν νέα ὅμοια.
Constantly observe that all things take place by change, and accustom yourself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them.
σπέρμα γὰρ τρόπον τινὰ πᾶν τὸ ὃν τοῦ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐσομένου, σὺ δὲ μόνα σπέρματα φαντάζῃ τὰ εἰς γῆν ἣ μήτραν καταβαλλόμενα, τοῦτο δὲ λίαν ἰδιωτικόν.
For everything that exists is, in a manner, the seed of that which will be from it; but you fancy that those only are seeds which are cast into the earth or into a womb, but this is too vulgar.

Notes

  1. §4.36.1τὸ τὰ ὄντα μεταβάλλειν — The articular infinitive `τὸ ... μεταβάλλειν καὶ ποιεῖν` is placed after the comparative conjunction `ὡς`, serving as the standard of comparison introduced by `οὐδὲν οὕτως ... ὡς` (nothing so much... as). `τὰ ὄντα` is the direct object of `μεταβάλλειν`.
  2. §4.36.1τοῦ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐσομένου — The genitive singular neuter future participle of `εἰμί` (`ἐσομένου`) with the article `τοῦ` is substantivized, meaning 'that which is about to be'. The genitive case depends on the noun `σπέρμα` (seed of...), and `ἐξ αὐτοῦ` (out of it) refers back to `πᾶν τὸ ὄν`.
  3. §4.36.1φαντάζῃ — The second-person singular present indicative middle of `φαντάζομαι` (to imagine, regard as). It takes the substantivized participle `τὰ ... καταβαλλόμεna` (the things cast into...) as its object, with `μόνα σπέρματα` (only as seeds) serving as a predicative accusative.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §4.36.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.36.1

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