Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §6.30.1-6.30.4

Warning Against Imperial Corruption and the Example of Antoninus

Passage 167 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author exhorts himself to keep his moral purity as demanded by philosophy and lists in detail the virtues and disciplined life of his predecessor, Antoninus Pius, so that he may meet his final hour with a clear conscience.

§6.30.1Ὅρα μὴ ἀποκαισαρωθῇς, μὴ βαφῇς· γίνεται γάρ.
See to it that you do not become Caesarised, that you are not dyed; for it does happen.
τήρησον οὖν σεαυτὸν ἁπλοῦν, ἀγαθόν, ἀκέραιον, σεμνόν, ἄκομψον, τοῦ δικαίου φίλον, θεοσεβῆ, εὐμενῆ, φιλόστοργον, ἐρρωμένον πρὸς τὰ πρέποντα ἔργα.
Keep yourself, therefore, simple, good, pure, grave, free from affectation, a friend of justice, god-fearing, kind, affectionate, strong for your proper duties.
ἀγώνισαι, ἵνα τοιοῦτος συμμείνῃς, οἷόν σε ἠθέλησε ποιῆσαι φιλοσοφία.
Strive to remain such as philosophy wished to make you.
αἰδοῦ θεούς, σῷζε ἀνθρώπους.
Revere the gods, save men.
βραχὺς ὁ βίος· εἶς καρπὸς τῆς ἐπιγείου ζωῆς, διάθεσις ὁσία καὶ πράξεις κοινωνικαί.
Life is short; the only fruit of this earthly life is a holy disposition and social acts.
§6.30.2πάντα ὡς Ἀντωνίνου μαθητής· τὸ ὑπὲρ τῶν κατὰ λόγον πρασσομένων εὔτονον ἐκείνου καὶ τὸ ὁμαλὲς πανταχοῦ καὶ τὸ ὅσιον καὶ τὸ εὔδιον τοῦ προσώπου καὶ τὸ μειλίχιον καὶ τὸ ἀκενόδοξον καὶ τὸ περὶ τὴν κατάληψιν τῶν πραγμάτων φιλότιμον· §6.30.3καὶ ὡς ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἄν τι ὅλως παρῆκε μὴ πρότερον εὖ μάλα κατιδὼν καὶ σαφῶς νοήσας· καὶ ὡς ἔφερεν ἐκεῖνος τοὺς ἀδίκως αὐτὸν μεμφομένους μὴ ἀντιμεμφόμενος· καὶ ὡς ἐπ’ οὐδὲν ἔσπευδεν· καὶ ὠς διαβολὰς οὐκ ἐδέχετο· καὶ ὡς ἀκριβὴς ἦν ἐξεταστὴς ἠθῶν καὶ πράξεων καὶ οὐκ ὀνειδιστής, οὐ ψοφοδεής, οὐχ ὑπόπτης, οὐ σοφιστής· καὶ ὡς ὀλίγοις ἀρκούμενος, οἷον οἰκήσει, στρωμνῇ, ἐσθῆτι, τροφῇ, ὑπηρεσίᾳ· §6.30.4καὶ ὡς φιλόπονος καὶ μακρόθυμος· καὶ οἷος μένειν ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ μέχρι ἑσπέρας, διὰ τὴν λιτὴν δίαιταν μηδὲ τοῦ ἀποκρίνειν τὰ περιττώματα παρὰ τὴν συνήθη ὥραν χρῄζων· καὶ τὸ βέβαιον καὶ ὅμοιον ἐν ταῖς φιλίαις αὐτοῦ· καὶ τὸ ἀνέχεσθαι τῶν ἀντιβαινόντων παρρησιαστικῶς ταῖς γνώμαις αὐτοῦ καὶ χαίρειν εἴ τίς τι δεικνύοι κρεῖττον· καὶ ὡς θεοσεβὴς χωρὶς δεισιδαιμονίας· ἵν’ οὕτως εὐσυνειδήτῳ σοι ἐπιστῇ ἠ τελευταία ὥρα ὡς ἐκείνῳ.
Do all things as a disciple of Antoninus: his constancy in things done according to reason, his equability everywhere, his piety, the serenity of his countenance, his sweetness, his freedom from vainglory, his eagerness for the grasp of facts; and how he would never let anything pass without first well examining and clearly understanding it; and how he bore those who blamed him unjustly without blaming them in return; and how he hurried in nothing; and how he admitted no slanders; and how he was an accurate examiner of characters and actions, and not a censurer, not timid, not suspicious, not a sophist; and how he was satisfied with little, such as lodging, bedding, clothing, food, service; and how he was industrious and patient; and such as to remain in the same place until evening, not even needing to relieve nature except at the usual hour due to his spare diet; and the stability and constancy of his friendships; and his bearing with those who opposed his opinions with freedom of speech, and his rejoicing if anyone showed him anything better; and how he was religious without superstition; that so your last hour may come upon you with as good a conscience as it did upon him.

Notes

  1. 6.30.1Ὅρα μὴ ἀποκαισαρωθῇς — The construction of ὅρα μή followed by the subjunctive (ἀποκαισαρωθῇς), expressing a strong warning or prohibition ('see to it that you do not...').
  2. 6.30.3οὐκ ἄν τι ὅλως παρῆκε — The particle ἄν combined with the past indicative (παρῆκε) expresses past repetition, habit, or a characteristic tendency ('he would never let... pass').
  3. 6.30.4ἵν’ οὕτως εὐσυνειδήτῳ σοι ἐπιστῇ ἡ τελευταία ὥρα — The conjunction ἵνα introduces a purpose clause. It indicates the goal of the entire preceding series of examples (the noun phrases and ὡς clauses) starting from 'πάντα ὡς Ἀντωνίνου μαθητής' at the beginning of §6.30.2, serving as the functional conclusion to the long period.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §6.30.1-6.30.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.30.1-6.30.4

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.