Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §4.37.1

Imminent Death and Self-Reproach for Lacking Virtue

Passage 87 of 486 · Greek

Summary

Reflecting on the imminence of death, the author admonishes himself for not yet achieving philosophical virtues such as simplicity, tranquility, freedom from fear of external harm, kindness to all, and centering wisdom solely on just action.

§4.37.1Ἤδη τεθνήξῃ καὶ οὔπω οὔτε ἁπλοῦς οὔτε ἀτάραχος οὔτε ἀνύποπτος τοῦ βλαβῆναι ἃν ἔξωθεν οὔτε ἵλεως πρὸς πάντας οὔτε τὸ φρονεῖν ἐν μόνῳ τῷ δικαιοπραγεῖν τιθέμενος.
Soon you will die, and yet you are not yet simple, nor untroubled, nor free from suspicion that you might be harmed by outward things, nor well-disposed to all, nor placing wisdom solely in acting justly.

Notes

  1. §4.37.1Ἤδη τεθνήξῃ — The second-person singular future perfect. It expresses a sense of temporal urgency, implying that death is imminently close.
  2. §4.37.1τοῦ βλαβῆναι ἂν ἔξωθεν — The articular infinitive in the genitive τοῦ βλαβῆναι serves as the complement to the adjective ἀνύποπτος (unsuspecting, free from fear). The particle ἂν goes with the infinitive βλαβῆναι, expressing a potentiality ('that one might be harmed').
  3. §4.37.1τὸ φρονεῖν ἐν μόνῳ τῷ δικαιοπραγεῖν τιθέμενος — The articular infinitive τὸ φρονεῖν (being wise, wisdom) is the direct object of the present participle τιθέμενος, with the prepositional phrase ἐν μόνῳ τῷ δικαιοπραγεῖν (only in acting justly) indicating where it is placed. It means 'placing wisdom solely in just action'.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §4.37.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.37.1

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