Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §5.18.1

Bearing What Happens and Ignorance Appearing Stronger than Wisdom

Passage 119 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author argues that nothing happens to anyone that they are not naturally equipped to bear, and laments that ignorance and vanity can seem stronger than wisdom when others remain undisturbed because of them.

§5.18.1Οὐδὲν οὐδενὶ συμβαίνει ὃ οὐχὶ πέφυκε φέρειν.
Nothing happens to anyone which he is not formed by nature to bear.
ἄλλῳ τὰ αὐτὰ συμβαίνει καὶ ἤτοι ἀγνοῶν ὅτι συμβέβηκεν, ἢ ἐπιδεικνύμενος μεγαλοφροσύνην, εὐσταθεῖ καὶ ἀκάκωτος μένει.
The very same things happen to another, and he, either because he does not know that they have happened, or because he is displaying greatness of soul, remains calm and undamaged.
δεινὸν οὖν ἄγνοιαν καὶ ἀρέσκειαν ἰσχυροτέρας εἶναι φρονήσεως.
It is a shame, then, that ignorance and vanity should be stronger than wisdom.

Notes

  1. 5.18.1ἄλλῳ ... ἀγνοῶν ... εὐσταθεῖ — Although beginning with the dative ἄλλῳ, the subsequent participles (ἀγνοῶν, ἐπιδεικνύμενος) and verbs (εὐσταθεῖ, μένει) assume a nominative subject, resulting in a grammatical anacoluthon. The initial dative ἄλλῳ is placed to contrast with οὐδενὶ in the preceding sentence, after which the clause shifts to treat this 'other person' as the nominative subject.
  2. 5.18.1ἰσχυροτέρας ... φρονήσεως — ἰσχυροτέρας is the feminine accusative plural of the comparative adjective, agreeing with the accusative subjects ἄγνοιαν καὶ ἀρέσκειαν, while φρονήσεως is the genitive of comparison.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §5.18.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.18.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.