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Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §7.38.1

The Futility of Being Angry with External Things

Passage 234 of 486 · Greek

Summary

A quotation from Euripides stating that it is useless to be angry with external circumstances, as they do not care.

§7.38.1Τοῖς πράγμασιν γὰρ οὐχὶ θυμοῦσθαι χρεών· μέλει γὰρ αὐτοῖς οὐδέν.
For one must not be angry with things; for they care nothing for it.

Notes

  1. §7.38.1Τοῖς πράγμασιν — Dative of object governed by the infinitive θυμοῦσθαι (to be angry with).
  2. §7.38.1μέλει — Impersonal verb ("it matters", "it is a care"). It takes the dative αὐτοῖς (referring to the circumstances), with οὐδέν acting adverbially ("not at all"), meaning "they care nothing for it."

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §7.38.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.38.1

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