Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §6.38.1

The Mutual Relation and Unity of All Things

Passage 175 of 486 · Greek

Summary

Encourages meditation on the connection and mutual relation of all things in the universe, explaining the Stoic physical unity of the cosmos.

§6.38.1Πολλάκις ἐνθυμοῦ τὴν ἐπισύνδεσιν πάντων τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ σχέσιν πρὸς ἄλληλα.
Meditate often on the connection of all things in the universe and their relation to one another.
τρόπον γάρ τινα πάντα ἀλλήλοις ἐπιπέπλεκται καὶ πάντα κατὰ τοῦτο φίλα ἀλλήλοις ἐστί· καὶ γὰρ ἄλλῳ ἑξῆς ἐστι τοῦτο διὰ τὴν τονικὴν κίνησιν καὶ σύμπνοιαν καὶ τὴν ἕνωσιν τῆς οὐσίας.
For in a way all things are interwoven with one another, and all in this respect are friendly to one another; for this follows next in order after another by virtue of the tension-movement, the common breathing, and the unity of substance.

Notes

  1. 6.38.1τρόπον γάρ τινα — τρόπον τινα is an adverbial accusative meaning 'in a way' or 'in some manner'.
  2. 6.38.1ἄλλῳ ἑξῆς ἐστι τοῦτο — The adverb ἑξῆς ('next in order', 'consecutively') takes the dative (here ἄλλῳ) to mean 'follows next in order after another'. τοῦτο ('this') is the subject, indicating that any given thing exists in orderly sequence after another in the cosmic order.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §6.38.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.38.1

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