§5.17.1Τὸ τὰ ἀδύνατα διώκειν μανικόν· ἀδύνατον δὲ τὸ τοὺς φαύλους μὴ τοιαῦτά τινα ποιεῖν.
To pursue impossible things is madness; but it is impossible for bad men not to do such things.
Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §5.17.1
Madness of Pursuing the Impossible and Inevitability of Bad Actions
Summary
It points out that pursuing impossible things is madness, and that it is impossible to expect bad people not to act according to their nature.
Notes
- §5.17.1τὸ τοὺς φαύλους μὴ τοιαῦτά τινα ποιεῖν — An articular infinitive phrase introduced by the article τό. The phrase τοὺς φαύλους is the subject accusative of the infinitive ποιεῖν, while τοιαῦτά τινα serves as its direct object. The entire phrase functions as the subject of the second clause, with the predicate adjective ἀδύνατον (where the copula ἐστίν is omitted).
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §5.17.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.17.1
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