§7.32.1Περὶ θανάτου· ἢ σκεδασμός, εἰ ἄτομοι· εἰ δ᾽ ἕνωσις, ἤτοι σβέσις ἢ μετάστασις.
On death: either dispersion, if atoms; but if a single unity, then either extinction or change of state.
Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §7.32.1
Death as Dispersion or Change in the Cosmos
Summary
A concise reflection on the nature of death, considering it as either dispersion (if the cosmos consists of atoms) or extinction/change of state (if the cosmos is a single unity).
Notes
- §7.32.1ἢ σκεδασμός, εἰ ἄτομοι — In this sentence defining death, the verb (ἐστίν) and the subject (ὁ θάνατος) are omitted. The initial 'ἢ' functions to present an alternative ('either [death is] dispersion') in response to the heading 'Περὶ θανάτου' (On death). 'εἰ ἄτομοι' ('if atoms') represents a cosmological hypothesis: 'if [the universe consists of] atoms.'
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §7.32.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.32.1
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