Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §6.20.1

Tolerating Others and Avoiding Offense without Hatred

Passage 157 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author explains that just as we overlook accidental collisions in the gymnasium, we should also avoid others in life with good-natured tolerance, without suspicion or hatred.

§6.20.1Ἐν τοῖς γυμνασίοις καὶ ὄνυξι κατέδρυψέ τις καὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ ἐρραγεὶς πληγὴν ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ’ οὔτε ἐπισημαινόμεθα οὔτε προσκόπτομεν οὔτε ὑφορώμεθα ὕστερον ὡς ἐπίβουλον·
In the gymnasium, someone may scratch us with their nails or collide with their head and inflict a blow; yet we neither show resentment, nor take offense, nor suspect them afterwards of being treacherous.
καίτοι φυλαττόμεθα, οὐ μέντοι ὡς ἐχθρὸν οὐδὲ μεθ’ ὑποψίας, ἀλλ’ ἐκκλίσεως εὐμενοῦς.
To be sure, we keep ourselves out of their way, yet not as though they were an enemy, nor with suspicion, but with a good-natured avoidance.
τοιοῦτόν τι γινέσθω καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς μέρεσι τοῦ βίου· πολλὰ παρενθυμώμεθα τῶν οἷον προσγυμναζομένων.
Let something of this sort happen also in the other areas of life; let us overlook many things done by those who are, so to speak, our sparring partners.
ἔξεστι γάρ, ὡς ἔφην, ἐκκλίνειν καὶ μήτε ὑποπτεύειν μήτε ἀπέχθεσθαι.
For it is possible, as I said, to avoid them without either suspecting or hating them.

Notes

  1. 6.20.1ἐρραγείς — The second aorist passive participle of ῥήγνυμι (to break, burst), in the nominative masculine singular. It is used here in an intransitive sense meaning 'colliding' or 'dashing against,' referring to accidental physical contact in the gymnasium.
  2. 6.20.1παρενθυμώμεθα — The present subjunctive first-person plural (hortatory) of παρενθυμέομαι (to overlook, pay no attention to). This verb is relatively rare in classical Greek; its etymology ('to pass beside [παρά] what one lays to heart [ἐνθυμέομαι]') yields the figurative meaning of 'to disregard' or 'to make allowance for.'
  3. 6.20.1τῶν οἷον προσγυμναζομένων — The genitive plural present middle-passive participle of προσγυμνάζομαι (to train with, practice against, as a sparring partner). Combined with the adverbial οἷον ('as it were' or 'so to speak'), it metaphorically compares difficult people in life to sparring partners in a gymnasium. The genitive is governed by πολλά ('many things of those who...').

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §6.20.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.20.1

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