Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §6.45.1

How Events for the Individual Benefit Others and the Whole

Passage 182 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author explains that whatever happens to individuals is beneficial to the whole, and further argues that what is useful to one human is useful to others. He notes that 'useful' here should be understood in a broader sense that applies to indifferent things.

§6.45.1Ὅσα ἑκάστῳ συμβαίνει, ταῦτα τῷ ὅλῳ συμφέρει· ἤρκει τοῦτο.
Whatever happens to each individual is useful to the whole; this might have been enough.
ἀλλ’ ἔτι ἐκεῖνο ὡς ἐπίπαν ὄψει παραφυλάξας, ὅσα ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ ἑτέροις ἀνθρώποις.
But if you observe closely, you will further see this as a general rule: that whatever is useful to one man is also useful to other men.
κοινότερον δὲ νῦν τὸ συμφέρον ἐπὶ τῶν μέσων λαμβανέσθω.
But now, let "what is useful" be understood in a more common sense, as applied to indifferent things.

Notes

  1. §6.45.1ἤρκει — The imperfect indicative is used without ἄν to express a potential or counterfactual sense ('this might have been enough' or 'this should have sufficed').
  2. §6.45.1παραφυλάξας — The aorist active participle functions conditionally ('if you observe closely'), modifying the future main verb ὄψει ('you will see').
  3. §6.45.1ὅσα ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ ἑτέροις ἀνθρώποις — This relative clause stands in apposition to the preceding demonstrative ἐκεῖνο. The verb συμφέρει ('is useful') is omitted from both parts of the clause, meaning 'whatever [is useful] to a man, [is useful] also to other men.'
  4. §6.45.1τῶν μέσων — The genitive of the Stoic technical term τὰ μέσα, referring to 'indifferent things' (adiaphora) that are morally neither good nor bad. It is governed by the preposition ἐπί, meaning 'in the case of' or 'with regard to'.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §6.45.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.45.1

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