Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §6.48.1

Delight in Reflecting on the Virtues of Companions

Passage 185 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author advises reflecting on the virtues and strengths of one's companions to find joy, noting that nothing delights more than seeing these virtues displayed together, and therefore they should always be kept ready in mind.

§6.48.1Ὅταν εὐφρᾶναι σεαυτὸν θέλῃς, ἐνθυμοῦ τὰ προτερήματα τῶν συμβιούντων· οἷον τοῦ μὲν τὸ δραστήριον, τοῦ δὲ τὸ αἰδῆμον, τοῦ δὲ τὸ εὐμετάδοτον, ἄλλου δὲ ἄλλο τι.
When you wish to delight yourself, keep in mind the advantages of those who live with you; for instance, the activity of one, the modesty of another, the generosity of a third, and some other quality of another.
οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως εὐφραίνει ὡς τὰ ὁμοιώματα τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐμφαινόμενα τοῖς ἤθεσι τῶν συζώντων καὶ ἀθρόα ὡς οἷόν τε συμπίπτοντα.
For nothing delights so much as the representations of virtues exhibiting themselves in the morals of those who live with us, and presenting themselves in conjunction as far as possible.
διὸ καὶ πρόχειρα αὐτὰ ἑκτέον.
Therefore we must keep them ready at hand.

Notes

  1. §6.48.1τοῦ μὲν... τοῦ δὲ — Expresses "of one... of another...". It functions as a partitive genitive specifying the preceding "τὰ προτερήματα" (advantages/virtues), to be understood either as the object of the implied verb "ενθυμού" (reflect upon) or as a possessive genitive ("the [advantage] of one...").
  2. §6.48.1ἀθρόα ὡς οἷόν τε συμπίπτοντα — The participle "συμπίπτοντα" modifies the nominative neuter plural "τὰ ὁμοιώματα" (representations of virtues). "ἀθρόα" is used adverbially (neuter plural nominative) meaning "all together, in a crowd", qualified by "ὡς οἷόν τε" (as far as possible). This construction emphasizes that the collective or simultaneous presentation of these virtues brings the greatest delight.
  3. §6.48.1ἑκτέον — The verbal adjective of "ἔχω" (to have, hold) in the neuter singular, used impersonally to express necessity ("one must keep/have"). The accusative logical subject (us) is implied, and the object is the neuter plural "αὐτά" referring back to the virtues.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §6.48.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.48.1

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