Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §5.31.1

Conduct Toward Others and Reflection on Life's Service

Passage 132 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author questions himself on how he has treated others up to now, and reflects on his soul's journey by recalling the trials he has endured and recognizing that his life and service are now complete.

§5.31.1Πῶς προσενήνεξαι μέχρι νῦν θεοῖς, γονεῦσιν, ἀδελφοῖς, γυναικί, τέκνοις, διδασκάλοις, τροφεῦσι, φίλοις, οἰκείοις, οἰκέταις·
How have you behaved up to now toward the gods, parents, brothers, wife, children, teachers, tutors, friends, relatives, and servants?
εἰ πρὸς πάντας σοι μέχρι νῦν ἐστι τό· "μήτε τινὰ ῥέξαι ἐξαίσιον μήτε τι εἰπεῖν. " ἀναμιμνῄσκου δὲ καὶ δι’ οἵων διελήλυθας καὶ οἷα ἤρκεσας ὑπομεῖναι καὶ ὅτι πλήρης ἤδη σοι ἡ ἱστορία τοῦ βίου καὶ τελεία ἡ λειτουργία καὶ πόσα ὦπται καλὰ καὶ πόσων μὲν ἡδονῶν καὶ πόνων ὑπερεῖδες, πόσα δὲ ἔνδοξα παρεῖδες, εἰς ὅσους δὲ ἀγνώμονας εὐγνώμων ἐγένου.
Whether up to now this has held true for you toward them all: "Neither to do any injustice to anyone, nor to say any." And reflect on what kind of things you have passed through, and what kind of things you have had the strength to endure; and that the history of your life is already complete and your service ended; and how many beautiful things have been seen by you, and how many pleasures and pains you have disdained, how many glorious things you have passed by, and to how many ungrateful people you have been well-disposed.

Notes

  1. §5.31.1εἰ — It can be interpreted as a conditional clause ("if..."), or as introducing an indirect question ("whether...") related to the preceding question starting with "Πῶς". In this context of self-reflection, it serves as a criterion to measure one's past attitude.
  2. §5.31.1μήτε τινὰ ῥέξαι ἐξαίσιον μήτε τι εἰπεῖν — A modified quotation from Homer's Odyssey 4.690 (where participles are used). The infinitives ῥέξαι and εἰπεῖν function in apposition to the nominalized article τό. The accusative τινά refers to a person ("anyone"), and ἐξαίσιον functions as a neuter accusative meaning "any unjust thing".
  3. §5.31.1ἤρκεσας ὑπομεῖναι — The verb ἀρκέω (usually meaning "to be sufficient") is used here in the personal construction with an infinitive, meaning "to have enough strength to do" or "to be strong enough to endure."
  4. §5.31.1ἀγνώμονας εὐγνώμων — A wordplay (paronomasia) based on contrasting adjectives sharing the same root: "ἀγνώμων" (ungrateful, unthinking) and "εὐγνώμων" (well-disposed, kind, grateful).

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §5.31.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.31.1

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