Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §6.55.1

Criticism from Others and the Duty of Helmsman and Physician

Passage 192 of 486 · Greek

Summary

Assuming a hypothetical scenario where sailors or patients speak ill of the speaker as a helmsman or physician, he notes that their only concern would be how he might bring about safety or health.

§6.55.1Εἰ κυβερνῶντα οἱ ναῦται ἢ ἰατρεύοντα οἱ κάμνοντες κακῶς ἔλεγον, ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἂν προσεῖχον ἢ πῶς αὐτὸς ἐνεργοίην τὸ τοῖς ἐμπλέουσι σωτήριον ἢ τὸ τοῖς θεραπευομένοις ὑγιεινόν;

If sailors spoke ill of me steering, or the sick of me healing, would they pay attention to anything else than how I myself might effect safety for the passengers or health for those under treatment?

Notes

6.55.1κυβερνῶντα / ἰατρεύοντα — Accusative masculine singular present participles modifying an omitted pronoun (such as `ἐμέ`, "me"), which serves as the direct object of `κακῶς ἔλεγον` ("spoke ill of"). They indicate that the speaker is comparing himself to a helmsman and a physician, which aligns with the first-person singular verb `ἐνεργοίην` in the following clause.
6.55.1ἄλλῳ τινὶ — Neuter dative singular, serving as the object of `προσεῖχον` (imperfect of `προσέχω`, "to pay attention to"). Since it is followed by the comparative `ἢ` ("than") and the indirect question clause `πῶς...` ("how..."), it is interpreted as neuter ("anything else") rather than masculine ("anyone else").
6.55.1ἐνεργοίην — First-person singular present active optative of `ἐνεργέω`. It is used in the indirect question clause (`πῶς...`) following a secondary tense in the main clause (`προσεῖχον`). The nominative adjective `αὐτός` ("myself") emphasizes this first-person subject.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §6.55.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.55.1

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.