Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §7.2.1

Reviving Principles and Mind's Independence

Passage 198 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author emphasizes the importance of maintaining impressions to keep doctrines alive, states that external things cannot affect the mind, and encourages reviving oneself by looking at things as before.

§7.2.1Τὰ δόγματα πῶς ἄλλως δύναται νεκρωθῆναι, ἐὰν μὴ αἱ κατάλληλοι αὐτοῖς φαντασίαι σβεσθῶσιν, ἃς διηνεκῶς ἀναζωπυρεῖν ἐπὶ σοί ἐστι.
How else can your doctrines be put to death, unless the impressions appropriate to them are extinguished? To rekindle these constantly is within your power.
δύναμαι περὶ τούτου ὃ δεῖ ὑπολαμβάνειν·
I am able to form the proper judgment about this.
εἰ δύναμαι, τί ταράσσομαι;
If I am able, why am I troubled?
τὰ ἔξω τῆς ἐμῆς διανοίας οὐδὲν ὅλως πρὸς τὴν ἐμὴν διάνοιαν.
Things outside my mind have no relation at all to my mind.
τοῦτο μάθε καὶ ὀρθὸς εἶ.
Learn this, and you stand erect.
Ἀναβιῶναί σοι ἔξεστιν·
It is in your power to live again.
ἴδε πάλιν τὰ πράγματα, ὡς ἑώρας· ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ τὸ ἀναβιῶναι.
Look at things once more as you used to see them; for in this lies living again.

Notes

  1. §7.2.1δύναμαι περὶ τούτου ὃ δεῖ ὑπολαμβάνειν — The infinitive ὑπολαμβάνειν (to form an opinion/judgment) serves as the complementary infinitive for δύναμαι (I am able), and is also understood or omitted after ὃ δεῖ (what is necessary), meaning 'I am able to judge about this what it is necessary to judge.'
  2. §7.2.1οὐδὲν ὅλως πρὸς τὴν ἐμὴν διάνοιαν — The copula ἐστίν is omitted. The prepositional phrase πρός with the accusative is used in the idiomatic expression οὐδὲν πρὸς ... to mean 'has nothing to do with' or 'is of no concern to'.
  3. §7.2.1τοῦτο μάθε καὶ ὀρθὸς εἶ — An imperative (μάθε) followed by καί and an indicative (εἶ) expresses a condition and its consequence: 'do this, and you will be...'. The adjective ὀρθός ('upright, straight') metaphorically refers to being mentally steadfast or resolute.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §7.2.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.2.1

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