Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §7.60.1

Maintaining Bodily Demeanor Without Affectation

Passage 256 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author explains that the body's motion and posture should be kept firm and decent by the mind, but all of this must be maintained without affectation.

§7.60.1Δεῖ καὶ τὸ σῶμα πεπηγέναι καὶ μὴ διερρῖφθαι μήτε ἐν κινήσει μήτε ἐν σχέσει.
The body too should be kept firm and not be aimless, whether in motion or in posture.
οἷον γάρ τι ἐπὶ τοῦ προσώπου παρέχεται ἡ διάνοια συνεστὼς αὐτὸ καὶ εὔσχημον συντηροῦσα, τοιοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος ἀπαιτητέον.
For just as the mind manifests itself in the face, keeping it composed and decent, so too must a similar thing be required of the whole body.
πάντα δὲ ταῦτα σὺν τῷ ἀνεπιτηδεύτῳ φυλακτέα.
But all these things must be observed without affectation.

Notes

  1. §7.60.1πεπηγέναι καὶ μὴ διερρῖφθαι — πεπηγέναι is an intransitive perfect active infinitive meaning 'to be firm', while διερρῖφθαι is a perfect passive infinitive meaning 'to be scattered or disordered'. Both are infinitives with the subject accusative τὸ σῶμα governed by the impersonal verb δεῖ.
  2. §7.60.1συνεστὼς — συνεστώς (perfect active participle neuter accusative of συνίστημι) serves as a predicative adjunct to the pronoun αὐτό (referring to the face, τὸ πρόσωπον), meaning 'keeping it (the face) composed or firm'.
  3. §7.60.1ἀπαιτητέον ... φυλακτέα — The use of verbal adjectives expressing obligation. ἀπαιτητέον is used impersonally (neuter singular) meaning 'must be required', whereas φυλακτέα agrees predicatively with the neuter plural subject πάντα ταῦτα, meaning 'must be observed'.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §7.60.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.60.1

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