Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §6.2.1

Fulfilling One's Duty Regardless of Circumstances

Passage 139 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author argues that one should focus only on performing one's duty well, regardless of physical or social conditions, and whether one is living or facing death.

§6.2.1Μὴ διαφέρου πότερον ῥιγῶν ἢ θαλπόμενος τὸ πρέπον ποιεῖς, καὶ πότερον νυστάζων ἢ ἱκανῶς ὕπνου ἔχων, καὶ πότερον κακῶς ἀκούων ἢ εὐφημούμενος, καὶ πότερον ἀποθνῄσκων ἢ πράττων τι ἀλλοῖον·
Let it make no difference to you whether you are performing your duty while shivering or keeping warm, and whether you are drowsy or have had sufficient sleep, and whether you are being spoken ill of or praised, and whether you are dying or doing something else.
μία γὰρ τῶν βιωτικῶν πράξεων καὶ αὕτη ἐστί, καθ’ ἣν ἀποθνῄσκομεν· ἀρκεῖ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτης τὸ παρὸν εὖ θέσθαι.
For this too, in which we die, is one of the actions of life; it is sufficient, therefore, in this case also to settle the present well.

Notes

  1. §6.2.1Μὴ διαφέρου — The imperative of the middle/passive verb διαφέρομαι, meaning 'to make a difference to oneself' or 'to care'. It introduces a series of indirect questions starting with πότερον ... ἤ ... ('whether ... or ...').
  2. §6.2.1τὸ πρέπον ποιεῖς — The predicate 'you are doing what is fitting (performing your duty)' from the first clause is omitted but understood as the common main action for all subsequent alternative clauses (whether drowsy, ill-spoken of, or dying). Hence, the sole concern in any circumstance is whether one is performing one's duty.
  3. §6.2.1τὸ παρὸν εὖ θέσθαι — The term θέσθαι is the aorist middle infinitive of τίθημι ('to place, arrange'). The middle voice carries the nuance of 'to arrange for oneself' or 'to settle, manage' (often compared to making a move in a board game). With the object τὸ παρὸν ('the present', 'what is at hand'), it means 'to manage the present situation well'.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §6.2.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.2.1

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