Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §7.70.1

Divine Patience with the Wicked and Human Impatience

Passage 266 of 486 · Greek

Summary

Marcus contrasts the immortal gods, who patiently endure and care for wicked people throughout eternity, with mortal humans who, despite being short-lived and wicked themselves, refuse to show similar tolerance.

§7.70.1Οἱ θεοί, ἀθάνατοι ὄντες, οὐ δυσχεραίνουσιν ὅτι ἐν τοσούτῳ αἰῶνι δεήσει αὐτοὺς πάντως ἀεὶ τοιούτων ὄντων καὶ τοσούτων φαύλων ἀνέχεσθαι· προσέτι δὲ καὶ κήδονται αὐτῶν παντοίως.
The gods, though they are immortal, do not feel resentful because they will inevitably have to tolerate for so long an eternity such and so many wicked people; and what is more, they care for them in all kinds of ways.
σὺ δέ, ὅσον οὐδέπω λήγειν μέλλων, ἀπαυδᾷς, καὶ ταῦτα εἶς ὢν τῶν φαύλων;
But you, who are all but ready to end your existence, are weary, and that too when you yourself are one of these wicked people?

Notes

  1. 7.70.1ἀθάνατοι ὄντες — The participle ὄντες functions concessively ("although they are immortal") in relation to the main verb οὐ δυσχεραίνουσιν ("do not feel resentful"). It emphasizes the contrast that even though the gods exist eternally and thus must endure wicked people forever (ἐν τοσούτῳ αἰῶνι), they do not complain.
  2. 7.70.1ὅτι ἐν τοσούτῳ αἰῶνι δεήσει αὐτοὺς πάντως ἀεὶ τοιούτων ὄντων καὶ τοσούτων φαύλων ἀνέχεσθαι — The ὅτι-clause functions as the object or cause of the verb of emotion δυσχεραίνουσιν. Inside the clause, δεήσει (impersonal future of δεῖ) governs the accusative and infinitive construction: αὐτούς is the subject accusative, and the infinitive is ἀνέχεσθαι, which governs the genitives τοιούτων ὄντων ("such people being as they are") and τοσούτων φαύλων ("so many wicked people").
  3. 7.70.1ὅσον οὐδέπω — An idiomatic phrase meaning "all but now" or "very soon." It modifies the participle λήγειν μέλλων ("about to cease/die"), highlighting the shortness of human life in stark contrast to the eternity (αἰών) of the gods.
  4. 7.70.1καὶ ταῦτα — An idiomatic expression meaning "and that too," introducing an additional, contrasting circumstance. Accompanying the participle phrase εἶς ὢν τῶν φαύλων ("being one of the wicked"), it sharply points out the hypocrisy of a human who cannot tolerate others, even though he himself is one of those very same wicked people.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §7.70.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.70.1

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