Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §7.64.1

Preserving the Mind in Pain and the View of Epicurus

Passage 260 of 486 · Greek

Summary

In facing pain, the author advises keeping in mind that pain does not harm the ruling mind, recalling Epicurus' teachings on the limits of pain, and recognizing that common disagreeable states like drowsiness are actually forms of pain.

§7.64.1Ἐπὶ μὲν παντὸς πόνου πρόχειρον ἔστω ὅτι οὐκ αἰσχρὸν οὐδὲ τὴν διάνοιαν τὴν κυβερνῶσαν χείρω ποιεῖ· οὔτε γὰρ καθὸ λογική ἐστιν οὔτε καθὸ κοινωνικὴ διαφθείρει αὐτήν.
In the case of every pain, let this be at hand: that it is not shameful, nor does it make the ruling mind worse; for it does not destroy it, neither insofar as it is rational nor insofar as it is social.
ἐπὶ μέντοι τῶν πλείστων πόνων καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἐπικούρου σοι βοηθείτω, ὅτι οὔτε ἀφόρητον οὔτε αἰώνιον, ἐὰν τῶν ὅρων μνημονεύῃς καὶ μὴ προσδοξάζῃς.
However, in the case of most pains, let the saying of Epicurus also help you: that pain is neither intolerable nor everlasting, if you bear in mind its limits and do not add opinion to it.
κἀκείνου δὲ μέμνησο, ὅτι πολλὰ πόνῳ τὰ αὐτὰ ὄντα λανθάνει, δυσχεραινόμενα· οἷον τὸ νυστάζειν καὶ τὸ καυματίζεσθαι καὶ τὸ ἀνορεκτεῖν·
And remember this too: that many things which are the same as pain escape our notice, though they are felt as disagreeable—for example, drowsiness, being overheated, and loss of appetite.
ὅταν οὖν τινι τούτων δυσαρεστῇς, λέγε ἑαυτῷ, ὅτι πόνῳ ἐνδίδως.
Therefore, whenever you are dissatisfied with any of these, say to yourself: "You are giving way to pain."

Notes

  1. §7.64.1πρόχειρον ἔστω ὅτι — Refers to the "handy maxim" (prōcheiron), a crucial concept in Stoic ethical practice. The `ὅτι` clause functions as an appositional clause explaining the concrete content of what should be "at hand" (`πρόχειρον`).
  2. §7.64.1μὴ προσδοξάζῃς — The verb `προσδοξάζω` means "to add opinion (δόξα)". Rather than merely "expecting," it refers to the process where the soul adds subjective evaluation or superfluous judgment (such as "this is an unbearable evil") to objective sensory data, which is a key term in Stoic epistemology.
  3. §7.64.1πολλὰ πόνῳ τὰ αὐτὰ ὄντα λανθάνει, δυσχεραινόμενα — The syntactic framework is `πολλὰ [τὰ αὐτὰ πόνῳ ὄντα] λανθάνει [δυσχεραινόμενα]`. The participle `ὄντα` carries a concessive force ("although they are"), and `δυσχεραινόμενα` is a passive participle meaning "being felt as disagreeable." The clause means that many things, despite being identical to pain in nature, escape our notice as such, even though they are disliked.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §7.64.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.64.1

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