Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §7.3.1

The Vanity of Worldly Pursuits and the Measure of Human Worth

Passage 199 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author lists various empty activities of the world and advises standing among them with benevolence and without pride, observing that a person's worth is only as great as the things they pursue.

§7.3.1Πομπῆς κενοσπουδία, ἐπὶ σκηνῆς δράματα, ποίμνια, ἀγέλαι, διαδορατισμοί, κυνιδίοις ὀστάριον ἐρριμμένον, ψωμίον εἰς τὰς τῶν ἰχθύων δεξαμενάς, μυρμήκων ταλαιπωρίαι καὶ ἀχθοφορίαι, μυιδίων ἐπτοημένων διαδρομαί, σιγιλλάρια νευροσπαστούμενα.
The empty solemnity of a procession, plays on the stage, flocks, herds, mock fights, a bone thrown to puppy dogs, a crumb of bread cast into fish-ponds, the labors and burden-carriagings of ants, the scurryings of frightened little mice, puppets pulled by strings.
χρὴ οὖν ἐν τούτοις εὐμενῶς μὲν καὶ μὴ καταφρυαττόμενον ἑστάναι, παρακολουθεῖν μέντοι, ὅτι τοσούτου ἄξιος ἕκαστός ἐστιν, ὅσου ἄξιά ἐστι ταῦτα περὶ ἃ ἐσπούδακεν.
It is necessary, then, to stand in the midst of these things with a benevolent mind and without superciliousness, yet to observe that each person is worth just as much as those things are worth about which he is zealous.

Notes

  1. §7.3.1καταφρυαττόμενον — Present middle/passive participle, accusative singular masculine, agreeing with an omitted indefinite pronoun τινά (someone), which functions as the subject of the infinitive ἑστάναι dependent on the impersonal verb χρή. It means 'to behave arrogantly' or 'to snort with contempt', prescribing an attitude of moderation that is neither swept away by nor contemptuous of the surrounding emptiness.
  2. §7.3.1τοσούτου ... ὅσου — Genitives of value, functioning as complements to the adjectives ἄξιος and ἄξια respectively. This construction expresses the Stoic view that a person's intrinsic worth is measured by the worth of the objects of their concern and pursuit.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §7.3.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.3.1

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